New Delhi, October 8: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the “chances of war with India are real,” asserting that Islamabad would achieve “an even bigger success” if another armed conflict were to occur. His remarks, made during an interview with Samaa TV on Tuesday, have heightened regional tensions amid renewed exchanges between Indian and Pakistani leaders.
Asif claimed that Pakistan was “keeping its guard up” and closely monitoring the situation following recent statements from Indian political and military officials. “I do not want escalation, but the risks are real,” he said. “If it comes to war, God willing, we will achieve a better result than before.”
The minister further asserted that Pakistan now enjoys more international support than it did six months ago, though he stopped short of naming any countries. He also alleged that India had “lost the backing” of some nations that had previously supported it.
In a controversial comment, Asif claimed that “India was never a united nation, except briefly under Aurangzeb,” while emphasising that Pakistan remains united in the face of external threats.
His statement follows similar rhetoric earlier this month, after Indian Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi warned Pakistan to end its support for terrorism “if it wants to remain on the world map.” Indian Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh also revealed that several Pakistani aircraft, including F-16s, were destroyed during Operation Sindoor—India’s retaliatory strikes launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The May clashes lasted four days before both nations agreed to halt hostilities on May 10. India has maintained that Pakistan sought the ceasefire after facing heavy losses to its military infrastructure.
