Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that "chances of war with India are real" and claimed that his country would achieve even bigger success in the case of any armed conflict in the future.
He made these remarks during an interview with Samaa TV on Tuesday, where the anchor asked him about the recent statements by the Indian political and military leaders.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had recently said can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard its unity and integrity. Indian Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi also warned Pakistan to stop backing state-sponsored terrorism if it wants to exist on the world map.
The statements also come even as Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Friday said at least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft, including US-origin F-16 jets, were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor.
The Pakistan defence minister said there was a threat of armed confrontation and Pakistan was keeping its guard and watching the situation.
"I do not want escalation, but the risks are real, and I am not denying that. If it comes to war, God willing, we will achieve a better result than before," Asif said.
He said that Pakistan has more supporters and allies than it had six months ago, while claiming that India had even lost the support of the countries which were on its side before the May conflict. However, he did not name any country.
Asif also claimed that India was never a united nation, except briefly under Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and that Pakistan was created in the name of Allah and stood united during the May confrontation despite several internal issues.
"At home, we argue and compete. In a fight with India, we come together," he said.
—With PTI inputs