Pakistan armed forces fully prepared for 'befitting response' to Indian aggression: ISPR

Published February 25, 2019
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa (R) calls on Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan at the Air Headquarters on Monday. — Screengrab
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa (R) calls on Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan at the Air Headquarters on Monday. — Screengrab

The Pakistani armed forces are fully prepared to give a "befitting response" to India if it resorts to any aggression or misadventure, the military's media wing said on Monday.

The statement was the outcome of a meeting between the army and air chiefs of the country, which followed a visit by Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to the Air Headquarters in Islamabad.

During their meeting, Gen Bajwa and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan deliberated upon the operational environment in the region including "threat and response", said a tweet by Inter-Services Public Relations chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

"Pak Armed Forces are fully prepared for a befitting response to any Indian aggression or misadventure," the tweet said.

It added that the chiefs of the army and air staffs expressed their satisfaction on the readiness, coordination and synergy of the armed forces.

The ISPR statement comes a day after Gen Bajwa and Air Chief Marshal Khan in their separate remarks expressed the armed forces' resolve to protect the country.

The army chief had said that defending the motherland is the most sacred act while the air chief promised that the Pakistan Air Force would "thwart any misadventure by the enemy".

The statements by the top brass of the armed forces come amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following an attack on Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir's Pulwama district, in which at least 40 paramilitary soldiers were killed on February 14.

According to media reports, Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing but New Delhi immediately blamed Islamabad and threatened a retaliatory attack. It also announced that it would launch a diplomatic offensive to isolate Pakistan in the international community. Moreover, India scrapped the Most Favoured Nation status granted to Pakistan and imposed a 200 per cent customs duty on its goods.

In response to India's allegations, Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to conduct an investigation if New Delhi provided “actionable evidence” but also warned that Pakistan will "retaliate" if attacked. On Friday, the Pakistan Army also warned India to avoid "any misadventure", as it could have dangerous consequences.

Opinion

Editorial

UAE’s Opec exit
Updated 30 Apr, 2026

UAE’s Opec exit

THE UAE’s exit from Opec is another sign of the major geopolitical shifts that are reshaping the global order. One...
Uncertain recovery
30 Apr, 2026

Uncertain recovery

PAKISTAN’S growth projections for the current fiscal present a cautiously hopeful picture, though geopolitical...
Police ‘encounters’
30 Apr, 2026

Police ‘encounters’

THE killing of nine suspects by Punjab’s Crime Control Department across Lahore, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh ...
Growth to stability
Updated 29 Apr, 2026

Growth to stability

THE State Bank’s decision to raise its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 11.5pc signals a shift in priorities...
Constitutional order
29 Apr, 2026

Constitutional order

FOLLOWING the passage of the 26th and 27th Amendments, in 2024 and 2025 respectively, jurists and members of the...
Protecting childhood
29 Apr, 2026

Protecting childhood

AN important victory for child protection was secured on Monday with the Punjab Assembly’s passage of the Child...