RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military on Sunday strongly reacted to remarks made by Indian Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi, accusing the Indian leadership of pursuing a “jingoistic and myopic mindset” that could push South Asia towards another crisis.

In a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing said the Indian army chief’s recent comments suggesting that “Pakistan should decide if it desired to be part of geography and history” reflected hostility towards Pakistan’s existence and ignored regional realities.

The ISPR said Pakistan was “already a country of consequence at the global level, a declared nuclear power and an indelible part of South Asia’s geography and history”.

It stated that the Indian leadership had failed to reconcile with the existence of Pakistan despite the passage of nearly eight decades since independence.

“The statement reflects that the Indian leadership has neither been able to reconcile with the very idea of Pakistan nor it has learnt the right lessons,” the statement said.

The military’s media wing described the remarks as “hubristic, jingoistic and myopic”, warning that such rhetoric had repeatedly contributed to wars and regional crises in South Asia.

The ISPR further said threatening a “sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination from geography” was not strategic signalling but “sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering”.

It warned that any attempt at “geographic obliteration” would have “mutual and comprehensive” consequences.

The statement emphasised that responsible nuclear states should demonstrate “restraint, maturity and strategic sobriety” instead of engaging in rhetoric centred on “civilisational supremacy or national erasure”.

The military also accused India of sponsoring terrorism and destabilising the region, alleging that New Delhi had a “historically documented record” of involvement in transnational assassinations and global disinformation campaigns.

According to the ISPR, India’s aggressive posture stemmed from frustration over its inability to undermine Pakistan, particularly after what it referred to as “Marka-e-Haq”.

The military urged India to “peacefully co-exist” with Pakistan and cautioned that any future attempt to target Pakistan could trigger consequences extending beyond the region.

“Any attempt to target Pakistan can trigger consequences that shall neither be geographically confined nor strategically or politically palatable for India,” the statement added.