Malik M. Ashraf
Notwithstanding the humiliation that India had to endure in the wake of its military adventures following the false-flag operations of ‘Pulwama’ and Pahlgam, Indian political and military leaders are now hurling threats to annihilate Pakistan from the map of the world through the second phase of operation Sindur. They probably seem to have miscalculated the likely response from Pakistan in this regard.
The threats have not gone unnoticed, and the military leadership of Pakistan has given a befitting response to these threats. While regretting the delusional, provocative and jingoistic statements emanating from the highest levels of India’s security establishment, a statement issued by ISPR warned India that future conflict could lead to catastrophic devastation and that any aggression would be met with resolute, unrestrained retaliation. It further said, “In the face of unwarranted threats and reckless aggression, the people and Armed Forces of Pakistan have the capability and resolve to take the fight to every nook and corner of the enemy’s territory. Those seeking to establish a new norm must recognize that Pakistan has established a new norm of response, which will be swift, decisive, and destructive. This time, we shall shatter the myth of geographic immunity, striking the farthest reaches of Indian territory. These irresponsible remarks indicate a renewed attempt to fabricate arbitrary pretexts for aggression-a prospect that could have serious consequences for peace and stability in the South Asian region”
It is most unfortunate that India, the largest country in the region, remains a threat to regional peace and security. It has disputes with almost all its neighbours. Bellicose blustering by the Indian regime against its neighbours, particularly Pakistan, has attained more intensity since the coming into power of Narendra Modi, a follower of the RSS philosophy of ‘Hindutva.’
It is not the first time that Indian Defence Minister Rajnath and military leaders have hurled such threats against Pakistan. These kinds of jingoistic statements can easily vitiate the atmosphere of peace and stability and contribute to destabilising the strategic environment in South Asia, as rightly pointed out in the statement issued by ISPR. In view of these threats and military adventures committed by India against Pakistan, the claim by Rajnath that India is a peace-loving nation, which believes in its centuries-old values and is committed to international laws, sounds ridiculous. India has backtracked on its international obligations, like the UN Resolution on Kashmir. It has breached international laws and the Fourth Geneva Convention in the IIOJ&K, besides violating bilateral agreements with Pakistan, including the Simla Agreement and the 2003 Ceasefire agreement at the LOC.
Indian leaders have been using such statements to reinforce their public discourses on the eve of elections to reap political gains without realising their wider implications. What the Indian leaders conveniently forget is that Pakistan is also a nuclear power and fully capable of defending itself against any of their indiscretions, as already proven in February 2019 and in May this year.
But that is not what Pakistan wants. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, addressing the General Assembly, unequivocally declared that Pakistan, after winning the war, now wanted to win peace. Pakistan has made several peace overtures towards India without any positive response. Pakistan has been making these efforts, fully convinced and committed to the idea of regional peace, which is only possible by orchestrating bonhomie between the two nuclear neighbours.
The peace overtures by Pakistan should not be construed as weakness on its part, lack of capability or resolve to defend its territorial integrity. India must understand that the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan and missiles developed in response to India’s ‘Cold Start’ doctrine are India-specific, and in case of any further adventure by them, they could also be used to annihilate India as well.
Having said that and considering Indian threats, my considered view is that the latest statements by the Indian political and military leaders are for public consumption at home and a clumsy attempt to erase the embarrassment they had to suffer in the first phase of the ‘Sindoor’ operation. The revelations by the Indian Air chief after nearly five months of the May conflict that India had downed 5-6 Pakistani aircrafts and successfully targeted some of the airbases in Pakistan are also meant for the same purpose, although no international source has ever corroborated that claim. The entire international media and even President Trump claimed the downing of 6 Indian planes by Pakistan, including the hyped Rafael. By issuing such statements, India has become a laughing stock for the international community, and no one has given any credence to such false narratives.
My view is that India will not go beyond verbal threats. The reason being that apart from Pakistan possessing the nuclear deterrent with the capability to destroy India as retaliation to any miscalculation on its part, the defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will be yet another inhibiting factor for India. According to this pact, an attack against one country will also be considered an attack on the other. India has strong economic ties with Saudi Arabia, which has made investments of billions of dollars in that country. Therefore, India would not opt in any case to jeopardise that and be treated as an enemy of Saudi Arabia. The diplomatic triumph of Pakistan at the global level and the growing isolation of India might also prove to be an additional restraint factor for her.
But the fact remains that Pakistan cannot afford to lower its guard against a cunning enemy like India, which has left no stone unturned to harm Pakistan. However, it is gratifying to note that the political and military leadership understands the dynamics of the regional security and is prepared for any eventuality, notwithstanding their commitment to peaceful co-existence with the neighbours.
The writer is a former diplomat and freelance columnist.
