Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday said Pakistan is open to using ‘tactical devices’ against India in case it feels threatened by its neighbour. The minister made the statement during an interview to Pakistan news channel SAMAA.
The edited version of the interview was put out by the news channel on its website, in which the minister is heard saying: “Tactical weapons joh hain, joh hamne yeh progammes develop kiya hua hai, yeh apne hifazat ke liye develop kiya hua hai. Hamne devices jo hain just as showpieces toh nahin rakhe hue. Lekin agar hamare salamati ko khatra hua, toh hum nestanabhut kar denge unko (Tactical weapons, our programmes that we have developed, they have been developed for our protection. We haven’t kept the devices that we have just as showpieces. But if our safety is threatened, we will annihilate them (India).”
The statement comes a day after India, in a demarche, summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit and gave him proof that the Uri attackers originated from across the LoC.
It should be mentioned here that this is not the first time that Asif has claimed that Pakistan is ready to attack India. In August 2015, state-run Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying that India will suffer “heavy losses” which it would “remember for decades” if it tries to “impose” a war on Pakistan.
He made the comments at a time when tensions were high at the LoC and Pakistan called-off foreign secretary-level talks following India’s stand that a discussion on Kashmir was off the table and a meeting with Separatists won’t be acceptable.