ISLAMABAD (Oct 8) — Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the “chances of war with India are real,” claiming that Pakistan is prepared and would achieve “even bigger success” in any future conflict.
Speaking to Samaa TV on Tuesday, Asif said Islamabad is closely monitoring regional developments following recent statements from Indian political and military leaders.
“There is a threat of armed confrontation, and Pakistan is keeping its guard up, watching the situation carefully,” he said, suggesting heightened tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and in diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.
While Asif did not specify what provoked the latest warning, his remarks come days after Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said India would not show the same restraint it did during “Operation Sindoor 1.0,” the military response to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Asif’s comments underscore a worsening strain in India–Pakistan relations, already fraught over cross-border terrorism and Pakistan’s domestic instability. The Pakistani minister also said that Islamabad remains “fully capable” of defending its sovereignty and warned that “India should not underestimate Pakistan’s resolve.”
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours have surged following recent military operations, diplomatic sparring at the United Nations, and accusations from New Delhi of Islamabad’s continued support for terror groups operating across the border.