Pak defence minister (file photo)

Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that the “chances of war with India are real” and that he was “not denying that possibility.” The comments came amid rising tensions between the two countries and follow recent statements by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi.Asif claimed that Pakistan will “achieve better results” if it comes to war with India.“I do not want escalation, but the risks are real and I am not denying that. If it comes to war, God willing, we will achieve a better result than before,” said Asif.In an interview with Samaa TV, Asif claimed India was never a united nation. “History shows that India was never one united nation, except briefly under Aurangzeb. Pakistan was created in the name of Allah. At home, we argue and compete. In a fight with India, we come together,” said Pakistan’s defence minister.Asif’s remarks came after Army Chief General Dwivedi, earlier this week, warned Pakistan to stop backing state-sponsored terrorism. Dwivedi had said, “India is fully prepared this time. We will not show the restraint we exhibited during Operation Sindoor 1.0. This time, the action will be such that Pakistan will have to think whether it wants to exist geographically.”Operation Sindoor was conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted nine terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India’s air defence systems successfully intercepted multiple Pakistani drones and missiles during the operation, preventing damage to military installations and civilian areas.