Pak Army pledges to counter any attack with 'swift and decisive response'

Islamabad, Oct 8 (PTI) The Pakistan Army on Wednesday expressed concerns over the recent remarks by Indian civilian and military leaders and pledged to counter any attack with a "swift and decisive response".

The 272nd Corps Commanders' Conference, held in Rawalpindi with Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the chair, also "agreed that unwarranted warmongering is likely to lead to heightened tensions and will endanger regional peace and security," according to a statement by the army.

The routine meeting of top generals comes days after Indian Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan to stop backing state-sponsored terrorism if it wants to exist on the world map.

Separately, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Friday said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking at an event in Hyderabad on Friday, asserted that India can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard its unity and integrity.

"The conference expressed grave concerns on the recent irresponsible and unwarranted provocative statements by Indian civil and military leadership," the Pakistan Army statement said.

"The meeting pledged to counter any Indian aggression with a swift and decisive response, shattering any perceived notion of India’s relative safety accruing from geography. Any imaginary new normal will be met with a new normal of swift retributive response,” it added.

The forum undertook a comprehensive review of ongoing counter-terrorism operations, emerging threat paradigm and operational readiness, and reaffirmed that the armed forces remain ready to thwart inimical designs of Pakistan's adversaries across all domains.

“The existing nexus between terror and crime with vested political patronage, which is gravely hurting the interests of the state and security of its people, will not be allowed to continue anymore, come what may,” it said.

The participants expressed resolve to pursue comprehensive counterterrorism operations across all domains to continue to dismantle the terror networks.

The meeting welcomed a landmark defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying this pact "underscores shared values, mutual respect, and a joint vision for peace and security in the Middle Eastern and South Asian regions.” The forum also reiterated Pakistan's "uncompromising support" for the Kashmiri people.

It also reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and hoped for an early ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Munir directed the Commanders to ensure the highest standards of operational readiness, discipline, physical fitness, innovation and responsiveness.

He also expressed full confidence in the operational preparedness of the Pakistan Army to counter threats across the entire spectrum, from conventional and sub-conventional, to hybrid and asymmetric threats.

In response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan.

The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

India has been maintaining that Pakistan pleaded for ending the hostilities in May after the Indian military pounded various Pakistani military infrastructure. PTI SH ZH ZH