Abdul Basit Alvi
The nuclear deterrent is considered the ultimate guarantee of sovereignty and security in a volatile region, and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is widely praised for authorizing the 1998 nuclear tests that publicly demonstrated this capability, reinforcing Pakistan’s strategic standing and serving as a warning to any potential adversaries.
The recent and shocking assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in what were described as joint US-Israeli strikes has only served to dramatically heighten these pre-existing regional anxieties and to underscore, in the starkest possible terms, the perceived ruthlessness, reach, and unrelenting nature of the Zionist agenda in the eyes of many in Pakistan and the wider Muslim world. Pakistan’s official reaction, while strongly condemning the provocative attacks and urgently calling for immediate de-escalation and restraint from all parties, has been carefully framed within this much larger and deeply ingrained context of perceived existential threat. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s intense diplomatic efforts, his urgent telephone calls to regional counterparts, and his carefully worded statements at the United Nations, all emphasizing the blatant violation of international norms and the urgent need to respect the sovereignty of all member states, are part of a desperate but necessary attempt to stem the seemingly inexorable tide of escalating and expanding conflict. Yet, there is a clear and sober understanding within the corridors of power in Islamabad that diplomacy alone, however skillfully conducted, may ultimately prove to be not nearly enough to guarantee the nation’s safety against such powerful and determined adversaries. Pakistan has also recently and decisively demonstrated its iron will and its willingness to act unilaterally and with overwhelming force in self-defense, as was dramatically seen with the launch of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, a series of precision strikes against militant groups operating with impunity from Afghan soil. This powerful operation, while tactically targeting the immediate and persistent threat posed by the TTP and IS-KP, also serves as a much broader and unmistakable strategic signal to the entire perceived nexus of Afghanistan, India, and Israel that Pakistan is not a passive victim of history or a weak state to be pushed around, but a resolute, capable, and sovereign nuclear power that is fully prepared and willing to defend its borders, its people, and its national honor with overwhelming and decisive force, no matter the cost.
Therefore, for the over 250 million citizens of Pakistan, the urgent and unvarnished message emanating from their defense minister and their national leadership is one of urgent, collective vigilance and unwavering, unbreakable national unity in the face of existential danger. Despite the many and sometimes bitter internal differences that exist within Pakistani society, be they political, ethnic, or sectarian, there is now, more than ever, a paramount and overriding national need to recognize the deep-seated and sophisticated nature of the conspiracy and the consistently hostile intentions of what are unequivocally termed the “eternal enemies” of the state. The recent, dramatic, and alarming developments unfolding across the region are a matter of the gravest possible concern for every Pakistani, a stark and unavoidable reminder of the volatile, unpredictable, and deeply dangerous world in which Pakistan finds itself permanently situated. However, this deep and legitimate concern is powerfully tempered by a deep and abiding national satisfaction, a quiet confidence, that the nation’s ultimate defense is in the safest possible hands, protected by a supremely capable and professional military and by the ultimate deterrent of a proven and reliable nuclear weapons capability. The prayers offered daily in mosques and homes across the country are for greater unity and strength within the fractured Muslim world, for the long-awaited freedom of Palestine from the oppressive Zionist yoke, and for Pakistan itself to remain forever strong, steadfast, and safe, by the grace of God, until the very Day of Judgment. It is a powerful and enduring vision of a future world where the multifaceted threat of Zionism is confronted not through fear or passivity but through the combined and resolute strength of a truly united Muslim Ummah, with Pakistan standing proudly as a formidable fortress at its sensitive eastern edge, resolute and utterly unyielding in the face of those who wish to see it humbled, divided, and ultimately subjugated. The unshakeable belief that the proven iron of its armed forces and the boundless grace of Allah will ultimately prevail against any and every conspiracy, no matter how vast, powerful, or well-orchestrated it may be, remains the absolute cornerstone of the nation’s resolve and its confidence in navigating these most turbulent and dangerous of times.
Concluded
