‘They decide whether they want to be part of geography, history or not’: Army Chief’s stern warning to Pakistan

COAS General Dwivedi's remarks reflect the broader strategic posture of the Indian Armed Forces, a commitment to protecting national security while showcasing restraint where possible, even during active operations.

In a very blunt message to terror backers across the border, underscoring India's zero-tolerance policy, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi has warned Pakistan that if it continues to harbour terrorists and launch operations against India, it will have to choose whether it wants to remain part of geography or become part of history. Speaking at the 'Sena Samwad' interactive session organised by 'Uniform Unveiled' at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi, COAS General Dwivedi was responding to a question on what the Indian Army's response would be if a situation similar to the one that led to Operation Sindoor arises again. His remarks come days after the nation marked the first anniversary of the historic operation.

With Operation Sindoor in early May 2025, India delivered a decisive tri-services response to the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians. Indian forces carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

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General Dwivedi emphasised that India has consistently maintained that Pakistan must decide its future path.

"If you have heard me earlier, what I have said is that Pakistan, if it continues to harbour terrorists and operate against India, then they have to decide whether they want to be part of the geography or history or not," he stated clearly during the event, quotes ANI.

His comments reflect the broader strategic posture of the Indian Armed Forces, a commitment to protecting national security while showcasing restraint where possible, even during active operations.

A similar stance on Operation Sindoor came from appointee Chief of Defence Staff Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, who talked about how Operation Sindoor is different during an event at the Uniform Unveiled session at Manekshaw Centre.

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He said, “I’ll speak only from a military point of view. Operation Sindoor is different. I’m not saying it was different; it is still ongoing, so I’ll say it is different from all the past conflicts we may have fought. For the first time, this was a kind of multi-domain operation. That means we operated in all three domains in a coordinated manner. It was largely non-contact warfare, whereas most wars in the past have involved direct contact.”

Talking about the precision strikes, appointee CDS further noted, “This operation also involved newer technologies such as space and cyber capabilities, all working together. Although the operation may have lasted only 88 hours, it required a huge amount of coordination not only among the three wings of the armed forces, but also with other instruments of the government and various agencies.”

“It was a very well-coordinated operation, which is why it was different from previous operations. Even the metrics of victory were different. Earlier, victory was measured by how much territory was captured, how many prisoners of war were taken, or how much equipment was destroyed…Imagine something landing accurately in this room from 300 or 400 kilometers away. That was unprecedented in our geography. That is why this particular operation was entirely different,” added appointee CDS Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani.

The message from the Army Chief Dwivedi came after multiple reports of back-channel dialogue with Pakistan. As India continues to strengthen its military modernisation and tri-services integration, General Dwivedi's words serve as both a reassurance and an unambiguous deterrent to adversaries.