Pakistan Urges India to Return to Talks, Warns of Military Capabilities

(MENAFN) Asif Ali Zardari has called on India to return to diplomatic negotiations, while asserting that both New Delhi and Afghanistan have only observed a “fraction” of Pakistan’s military capabilities.

Addressing a joint session of Pakistan’s parliament on Monday, Zardari emphasized that war is a measure of last resort and described himself as a “lifelong advocate” for regional peace. “For us, war is always the last option,” he said. “No state accepts serial attacks on its soil… We have let both India and Afghanistan see a fraction of our capabilities.”

Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated last May during a four-day military confrontation following a terrorist attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Meanwhile, Islamabad and Kabul have exchanged fire intermittently since October 2025.

Early on Friday, Pakistan launched heavy artillery and airstrikes at Afghan positions in retaliation for Taliban forces killing two Pakistani soldiers while firing at border posts the previous day.

Pakistan claimed success in its latest cross-border escalation, reporting that Afghanistan suffered approximately 1,000 casualties. Zardari described the operation as more than a military victory, calling it “an expression of our national resolve in crisis.”

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