‘Misadventure will lead to painful consequences’: MEA on Pak’s ‘reckless’ remarks

NEw new delhi: bharat on th warned west pakistan of “painful consequences” in the case of any misadventure, responding to “war-mongering and hateful comments” from Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership—particularly army chief field marshal Asim Munir’s nuclear threats.External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while addressing a weekly media briefing, subtly alluded to India’s military response during Operation Sindoor when commenting on recent aggressive rhetoric from Pakistan, including statements by Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and defence minister Khawaja Asif.“We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India,” Jaiswal said. “Pakistan would be well advised to temper its rhetoric, as any misadventure will have painful consequences, as was demonstrated recently.” He added that it is a “well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures.”Since last week, Pakistan’s leadership has escalated its rhetoric over issues ranging from threats to use nuclear weapons to the possibility of war if India restricts the flow of cross-border rivers amid the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.Munir, elevated to field marshal following four days of hostilities with India in May, reportedly told the Pakistani diaspora in the US last week that Pakistan could use its nuclear weapons to take down India and “half the world” in case of an existential threat, and would use missiles to destroy Indian dams on shared rivers.Also read: Outcome of India-Pakistan conflict: Much to be pleased about, much to learnOn Tuesday, Shehbaz Sharif promised to “teach India a lesson” if it interferes with Pakistan’s water supply. “I want to tell the enemy today that if you threaten to stop our water, keep this in mind—you cannot snatch even one drop from Pakistan,” he said.At a related event on Wednesday marking Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor, Sharif announced the creation of an “Army Rocket Force Command” to enhance missile combat capabilities. A senior official told Reuters that the force, meant for conventional conflict, “is obvious that it is meant for India.”Asif stated over the weekend that any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty would provoke a “swift, surefire and proportionate response.” Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari described India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as an “attack,” affirming that Pakistan would not back down if forced into war.India initially responded to Munir’s nuclear threats by warning that such rhetoric sparks doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command-control integrity, given its military’s proximity to terrorist groups. The ministry reiterated that India will not succumb to nuclear blackmail.Also Read: Pakistan took 48 hours to admit intrusion, refused to take back body initially: BSFFollowing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by The Resistance Front (a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba), India applied punitive diplomatic and economic measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and launching Operation Sindoor on May 7. Four days of hostilities followed, ending with a mutual understanding on May 10.Jaiswal also rejected a recent ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which instructed India to “let flow” waters of western rivers under the Indus Waters Treaty. “India has never accepted the legality, legitimacy or competence of the so‑called Court of Arbitration. Its pronouncements are therefore without jurisdiction, devoid of legal standing, and have no bearing on India’s rights of utilisation,” he said.He added that India rejects Pakistan’s “selective and misleading references to the so-called ‘award.’” Referring to India’s June 27 statement that the Indus Waters Treaty “stands in abeyance,” Jaiswal noted it was a sovereign decision motivated by “Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross‑border terrorism, including the barbaric Pahalgam attack.”India has not participated in arbitration proceedings since Pakistan challenged components of the Kishanganga (330 MW) and Ratle (850 MW) hydropower projects under the treaty. While the World Bank appointed both a neutral expert and a Court of Arbitration in 2016, India only recognized and engaged with the neutral expert, rejecting the Court of Arbitration.