ISLAMABAD: From the confines of a prison cell, ex-prime minister Imran Khan issued a stern warning to neighbouring India on Wednesday, asserting that Pakistan possesses the full capability to respond to any “misadventure” – just as it did in 2019. In a defiant message posted to X, Khan invoked memories of the Pulwama incident and the subsequent military confrontation that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink. “Backed by the whole nation, my government responded decisively in 2019,” he wrote. “We can do it again.” The statement from the jailed ex-prime minister comes amid escalating tensions following a deadly Pahalgam incident, for which New Delhi has hinted at Pakistani involvement. “Just like Pulwama, Modi Sarkar is again pointing fingers at Pakistan instead of investigating internally,” he said, reiterating his earlier claim that India failed to produce credible evidence in the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama attack. The 71-year-old former cricket star-turned-politician, who has remained a central figure in Pakistan’s political drama even behind bars, called for restraint from India, warning that the region is already a “nuclear flashpoint.” “India, a country of 1.5 billion, must act responsibly,” Khan urged. “Peace is our priority but it must never be seen as weakness.” He also renewed his long-standing call for the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir, as enshrined in United Nations resolutions, and condemned India’s 2019 revocation of Article 370, which stripped the region of its special constitutional status. “Indian oppression in Kashmir has only deepened the Kashmiris’ resolve for freedom,” he maintained. Khan, an outspoken critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accused India’s ruling BJP of advancing an RSS-driven agenda he called a “grave threat” to regional and global peace. “It’s not just about Kashmir anymore,” he wrote. “The RSS ideology threatens to destabilize the entire region.” Khan also seized the opportunity to criticise the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif administration and its allies, branding it “illegitimate” and accusing it of having been installed through rigged elections. He claimed that despite political divisions within the country, Modi’s aggression had ironically served to unite Pakistanis. “While we reject this fake regime, we are united in condemning Modi’s war-mongering,” he declared. Khan also turned his ire on his longtime political rivals Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, accusing them of remaining silent on Indian aggression due to their overseas financial interests. “They won’t challenge India because their illegal wealth lies abroad,” he alleged. “They fear Indian lobbies could freeze their assets if they speak the truth.” Khan warned that internal discord threatens to weaken Pakistan’s ability to confront external challenges. “A nation divided cannot win a war,” he declared. “Political victimization is undermining our collective strength at a critical time.” Copyright Business Recorder, 2025