Pakistan Defense Minister Warns India Over Army Chief’s ‘Erasing Pakistan’ Remarks

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has issued a stern warning to India following provocative remarks by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who claimed Pakistan must “stop backing terror” or risk being “erased from the world map.” Speaking on Sunday, Asif said New Delhi’s military and political leadership was attempting to “restore lost credibility” after suffering setbacks during the May 2025 conflict. The brief but intense four-day war saw both nations exchange missile, drone, and artillery fire before the U.S. brokered a ceasefire. India claims its strikes killed over 100 Pakistani soldiers and militants, while Pakistan insists it downed six Indian fighter jets, including a Rafale. India denies the losses and counters that it destroyed five Pakistani aircraft. The May clashes were triggered by an April attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed Pakistan-based militants, while Islamabad rejected the allegations. Pakistan’s military also condemned Dwivedi’s remarks as “delusional and provocative,” warning that any renewed conflict could result in “cataclysmic devastation.” The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stressed Pakistan’s response would be “swift, decisive, and destructive,” warning that any attempt to erase Pakistan would be “mutual.”