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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief on Saturday said there is “no space for war” between two countries in a nuclearized environment, urging India to resolve all core issues with Pakistan as per globally recognized norms.

The statement came days after India’s army chief General Upendra Dwivedi told soldiers near the Pakistan border that Islamabad must stop “backing terror” if it wanted to “remain on the world map.”

Dwivedi said India would not show the restraint it exercised during a brief war with Pakistan in May. Recent Indian political and security rhetoric has included similar public statements and assertions of “bloodshed” narratives ahead of local elections.

Speaking at a passing-out ceremony at the Pakistan Military Academy, Field Marshal Asim Munir said Pakistan’s defense doctrine is predicated on credible deterrence and perpetual readiness, encompassing the full spectrum of capabilities.

“The battle-hardened Army which has fought for over two decades in the sub-conventional domain has successfully displayed its capabilities in conventional domain as well by delivering a swift and decisive blow to the adversary,” he said in a clear reference to India.

“I advise and firmly caution the Indian military leadership that there is ‘no space for war’ in a nuclearized environment. Settle the core issues with Pakistan as per the international norms, on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”

The disputed region of Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between Pakistan and India, with both claiming the territory in its entirety and fighting multiple wars for its control. The conflict in May was also triggered by an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation.

Munir said that India, having failed in its belligerence against Pakistan in May, continues with “state-sponsored terrorism” as a preferred policy.

“Our adversary’s use of Fitna Al-Hind [Baloch separatist groups] and Fitna-al-Khawarij [Pakistani Taliban] as hired guns, exposes its cowering, hypocritical and heinous face to the world,” he said.

“Equally disconcerting is the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in Pakistan. We urge the people of Afghanistan to choose mutual security over perpetual violence and progress over hard-line obscurantism. Taliban Regime must rein in the proxies, who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are using Afghan soil to perpetrate heinous attacks inside Pakistan.”

There was no immediate comment from New Delhi or the Taliban to the Pakistani army chief’s statement. It came amid ongoing hostilities between Islamabad and Kabul over a surge in militant attacks by the Pakistani Taliban in Pakistan’s western regions that border Afghanistan.

Pakistan has frequently accused Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil and India of backing militant groups for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi both deny the allegation.

KARACHI: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday held a series of meetings with officials of the World Bank, Fitch Ratings and others in Washington, aimed at advancing the country’s economic agenda and highlighting its commitment to reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

Aurangzeb met President of the World Bank Ajay Banga on the sidelines of the IMF–World Bank annual meetings and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to deepening its partnership with the Bank, according to the Pakistani finance ministry.

He briefed the World Bank president on the government’s response to recent floods, which killed over 1,000, affected another 4 million and caused an estimated $1.3 billion losses.

“The Minister endorsed the proposal of leveraging technology platforms and cooperatives to effectively reach small farmers and enhance agricultural resilience,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

“Aurangzeb thanked the World Bank for its technical assistance in developing Pakistan’s Tariff Policy and informed Mr. Banga about the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with provinces for the implementation of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF).”

He requested additional support under the International Development Association (IDA) windows in light of reduced allocations and discussed the importance of adopting a holistic approach toward reforming Pakistan’s gas and power sectors to ensure long-term sustainability and efficiency.

The finance minister earlier met officials of Fitch Ratings agency in Washington DC and briefed them on his government’s commitment to structural reforms. He thanked the agency for upgrading Pakistan’s credit rating to B- with a stable outlook and expressed satisfaction that all three major international rating agencies were now aligned in their assessments.

“He briefed the Fitch team on the recently announced Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and highlighted Pakistan’s progress on key structural reforms in taxation, energy, privatization, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs),” his ministry said.

“The Minister underscored the government’s resolve to expedite the privatization process to enhance efficiency and fiscal sustainability.”

Islamabad has described the agreement with the IMF for the release of a $1.2 billion loan tranche as a strong external validation of Pakistan’s economic reform agenda.

Aurangzeb apprised Fitch officials of the government’s ongoing efforts to issue Panda Bonds in the Chinese market and referred to successful trade and tariff negotiations with the US administration, which saw the lowering of tariffs on Pakistan from 29 percent to 19 percent.

“The meeting concluded with an interactive exchange, during which the Minister responded to queries from the Fitch team and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining macroeconomic stability and sustaining reform momentum,” the finance ministry added.