Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari claimed recently that New Delhi is "preparing for another war," marking a sharp escalation in rhetoric months after a direct military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

According to reports, while addressing a joint session of Parliament amid disruptions from opposition members, Zardari alleged that India is mobilising for a new confrontation. Following the claim, he pivoted to a call for diplomacy.

"My message to them (India) is to move away from the war theatre to meaningful negotiation tables, because that is the only path for regional security," Zardari said.

The current friction follows a four-day military standoff in May 2025. That conflict began when India initiated "Operation Sindoor," a series of strikes targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was launched in response to an April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, an atrocity New Delhi attributed to the Resistance Front, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

During the 2025 hostilities, the Pakistani military retaliated with drone strikes, prompting India to enforce a blackout along the International Border and the Line of Control.

Zardari also extended his critique to Kabul, urging negotiations with the Taliban while accusing Afghanistan of acting as a strategic proxy for India.

“Stop being used by another country as a battlefield for their ambitions,” Zardari said, according to a report by Arab News.

India has consistently denied involvement in Afghanistan. Responding to previous allegations during the 2025 clashes, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the claims.

“Three things are clear. One, Pakistan hosts terrorist organisations and sponsors terrorist activities. Two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. Three, Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories,” Jaiswal said at the time.

The war of words has intensified following renewed Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory last month. India condemned those strikes, noting they occurred during the holy month of Ramadan and resulted in civilian deaths.

"India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan. It is another attempt by Pakistan to externalise its internal failures," Jaiswal stated during a recent weekly briefing.