Pakistan on 'probation,' faces 'strict punishment' without behaviour change, warns Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (May 16) stated that Pakistan was on "probation" after the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent ceasefire violations and cross-border firing.

Addressing Indian Air Force warriors at the Bhuj Air Force Station in Gujarat, Singh said that Pakistan was on "probation" till it improves its behaviour, or otherwise it would be given "strict punishment".

Pakistan on probation

Amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, the Indian defence minister said, "We have kept Pakistan on probation. If its behaviour improves, then okay; otherwise, it will be given the strictest punishment."

He also issued an apparent warning to Pakistan and said that the May 7 military operation was merely a "trailer".

"Operation Sindoor is not over yet. Whatever happened was just a trailer. When the right time comes, we will show the full picture to the world."

In the early hours of May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, where the military carried out cross-border strikes targeting nine specific sites linked to terrorism. At the time, in an official statement, the Ministry of Defence said, "The Indian Armed Forces launched 'OPERATION SINDOOR', hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."

Pakistan suffered severe damage to its military and air bases in Operation Sindoor.

In a chilling warning to Pakistan, Singh also said that not only was the new India not "tolerant" towards terrorism in all its forms but it "retaliates"

Addressing the jawans, he said, "You have made the entire nation believe that Naya Bharat ab sahan nahi karta, balki wah palat kar jawab deta hai," which translates to 'New India doesn't tolerate terrorism, rather it retaliates'.

The defence minister also paid homage to those who lost during Operation Sindoor. Praising the military operation's execution, he said, "Whatever you (Indian Air Force) did during Operation Sindoor has made all Indians proud – whether they are in India or abroad. Just 23 minutes were enough for the Indian Air Force to crush terrorism being nurtured in Pakistan."

"It would not be incorrect for me to say that the duration people take to have breakfast, you used that duration to deal with enemies. You dropped missiles by going to the land of enemies. Its echo did not remain restricted just to the borders of India, the entire world heard it. That echo wasn't just of missiles but also of your valour and the bravery of jawans of the Indian Armed Forces," the Defence Minister added.