Pak to respond with 'full force' if India attacks: DG ISPR Hails media role in war against terrorism; Honoured to see Indians happy over my exit.

Islamabad -- The outgoing head of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, on Thursday said that he considers it 'an honour if Indians are happy' on his exit from the role.

Maj Gen Ghafoor will be replaced by his successor Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar and he will take charge as the General Officer Commanding Okara.

Addressing his last press conference as the ISPR chief in Islamabad, he thanked reporters for their services over the years and hailed the role played by the media overall in Pakistan's war against terrorism. With regard to the recent comments made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he claimed that Indian forces were now capable of making Pakistan 'bite the dust' in less than 10 days, Maj Gen Ghafoor said that the Pakistan Army 'will always surprise the Indian armed forces'. 'We have said this before, and I am saying it again: You may start a war, but we will be the ones to end it.'

He said that the Indian government and leadership are once more making 'irresponsible statements'. 'How can an army which could not defeat 8 million Kashmiris in the past 71 years, defeat 207 million Pakistanis?' he asked.

Maj Gen Ghafoor said there was 'no victory in war; humanity always loses'. 'We will give a befitting response if war is imposed upon us,' he added.

On his last day as the military's spokesperson, Maj Gen Ghafoor recalled the events from last year when India and Pakistan were on the brink of war.

'In February 2019, a Pakistan-India war was knocking at our doors but the Pakistan Army's preparedness and effective response paved the way for peace. All three services proved themselves competent,' he said.

The outgoing ISPR chief said that the Pakistani leadership had responded to the threat of war in an admirable manner and that Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's 'superior military strategy' had saved South Asia from a major conflict. Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Pakistan desires peace in the region...