Pakistan’s army chief accused India of continuing to fuel instability in the region and warned it was fully prepared to counter any aggression from New Delhi as tensions between the two rivals remain high following a four-day armed conflict in May.

"Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan's stock-in-trade," India 's External Affairs Ministry said in a public statement on its website. "It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country."

India on Monday accused its neighbour Pakistan of "sabre rattling" and "irresponsibility" after media reports on remarks about nuclear threats in South Asia made by Pakistan's army chief while on a visit to the United States.