'I do not want escalation but...': Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on possibility of war with India

On Tuesday (October 7), Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the likelihood of war with India is real, though he did not rule it out. His statement came amid escalating tensions between the two countries, following remarks made by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. Asif said that while he hopes for peace, he claimed that Pakistan would ‘achieve better results’ in the event of a conflict with India. He added, “The risks are real, and I’m not denying them. If war comes, we will have a better outcome than before, with God’s will.”

In an interview with Samaa TV, Asif also claimed that India has never been a unified country except during the rule of Aurangzeb, highlighting that Pakistan was created in the name of Allah and always unites during external threats. His comments came shortly after Dwivedi’s warning to Pakistan to end its support for terrorism, saying that India is prepared this time and would not exercise the restraint seen during Operation Sindoor 1.0. Dwivedi added that any future action would be severe enough to make Pakistan reconsider its very existence.

Also Read: Jammu and Kashmir on high alert: Multiple anti-terror operations underway in Rajouri and Udhampur

Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike by the Indian Air Force, was launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 innocent civilians. The operation successfully targeted several terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, with India’s air defense systems intercepting several Pakistani drones and missiles to avoid harm to civilian and military targets.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, referring to the upcoming visit of the Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister to India, said that his Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan are not good. The defence minister claimed that Afghanistan has never had good relations with Pakistan. He also stressed on that Islamabad must recognise its 'true friends and enemies'. “This does not worry me, but as a politician and a Pakistani, I say that we must identify our friends and enemies. We must look at history; Afghanistan was the last country to recognise Pakistan. In these 77 or 78 years, Afghanistan has had neither friendship nor brotherhoodwithus," Khawaja was quoted as saying.