NEW DELHI, May 30 (Alliance News): Despite Pakistan’s repeated offers to resolve disputes through dialogue, senior Indian officials continue to issue provocative and hostile statements, further escalating tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.
In a recent warning, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh threatened to unleash the “firepower of the Indian Navy” against Pakistan in any future confrontation.
Singh made the remarks while aboard India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Goa, declaring that “if Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will, this time, face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy.”
His comments came just weeks after Operation Sindoor, a four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan that marked the most intense fighting between the two sides in decades.
The conflict, which began on April 22 after an attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) killed 26 people—mostly tourists—led to missile strikes, drone attacks, and artillery exchanges across the border.
India blamed Pakistan for the attack without providing evidence. Pakistan denied the allegations and called for an independent international investigation into the incident.
A ceasefire was eventually brokered by the United States on May 10, ending nearly 87 hours of hostilities.
During this period, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, a large-scale retaliatory campaign that targeted key Indian military assets.
According to Pakistan’s military, six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones were shot down during the operation.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that 53 Pakistanis—including 13 armed forces personnel and 40 civilians—were martyred during India’s unprovoked attacks.
Despite the ceasefire, the Indian defence minister claimed that Operation Sindoor was only paused, not concluded. “We stopped our military actions on our own terms. Our forces had not even started showing their might,” Singh asserted, suggesting that India retains the option to re-engage militarily at any time.
Pakistan, however, has consistently advocated for restraint and dialogue. A Pakistani military spokesperson referred to the earlier May 12 ISPR statement, which reaffirmed that any threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty would meet a “comprehensive and decisive” response.
Pakistani officials have warned against India’s continuing war rhetoric, describing it as a dangerous attempt to distract from domestic failures and stoke nationalist sentiment ahead of political events.
A senior Pakistani official told Reuters that troop drawdowns are underway and that both countries are working toward restoring border positions to pre-conflict levels, indicating a willingness from Islamabad to ease tensions.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy disclosed that it deployed its carrier battle group, submarines, and aerial assets in the northern Arabian Sea within 96 hours of the April 22 incident.
While Singh praised the speed of the mobilization, critics argue that such displays of power risk pushing the region toward more instability.
Global observers have urged both nations to step back from inflammatory rhetoric and re-engage in comprehensive bilateral talks aimed at addressing long-standing disputes, particularly the situation in IIOJK and broader issues of regional peace and security.
So far, no official Indian response has been given regarding Pakistan’s proposal for an international investigation into the April 22 attack or its repeated calls for peaceful dialogue.
However, pressure is mounting internationally for a diplomatic breakthrough before further provocations ignite a new round of conflict.
