“Geography or History…”: Army Chief’s Stern Warning to Pakistan Over Terrorism

Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday issued a strong warning to Pakistan, saying the neighbouring country must decide whether it wishes to remain “part of geography or history” if it continues to shelter terrorists and support activities against India.

Speaking at an interactive session titled Sena Samwad, organised by Uniform Unveiled at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, General Dwivedi reiterated India’s firm position on cross-border terrorism while responding to a question on how the Army would react if circumstances similar to those that triggered Operation Sindoor emerged again.

The Army Chief said India’s response would remain guided by Pakistan’s actions. “If you have heard me earlier, what I have said... that Pakistan, if it continues to harbour terrorists and operate against India, then they have to decide whether they want to be part of geography or history or not,” General Dwivedi said.

Though brief, the remarks carried a pointed message towards Islamabad and came just days after India marked the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor. The military operation was launched in the early hours of May 7 last year following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, in which several people were killed. In retaliation, Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under Operation Sindoor.

The conflict escalated after Pakistan launched retaliatory offensives, prompting further counter-strikes by Indian forces as part of the same military operation. The confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours continued for nearly 88 hours before both sides arrived at an understanding on the evening of May 10, bringing hostilities to a halt.