Rear Admiral Javaid Iqbal

#ISPR Response to Indian COAS Statement during a Recent Interview 🇵🇰 🇮🇳 Indian COAS gave a provocative statement during a recent interview that ‘Pakistan should decide if it desired to be part of geography and history’. Contrary to the delusional and hallucinational belief system and despite the omnipresent ill wishes that prevail in Hindutva-led India, Pakistan is already a country of consequence at global level, a declared nuclear power and an indelible part of South Asia’s geography and history. The statement reflects that the Indian leadership has neither been able to reconcile with the very idea of Pakistan nor it has learnt the right lessons, even after passage of eight decades. This hubristic, jingoistic and myopic mindset has repeatedly pushed South Asia towards wars and crises. Threatening a sovereign nuclear neighbour with elimination from “geography” is not strategic signalling or brinkmanship; it is sheer bankruptcy of cognitive capacities, madness and warmongering despite knowing the reality that such geographic obliteration would certainly be mutual and comprehensive. Responsible nuclear states reflect restraint, maturity, and strategic sobriety. They do not speak the language of civilisational supremacy or national erasure. Indian narrative conveniently ignores India’s own historically documented record of being a harbinger of terrorism in the region, a state sponsor of terrorism, key source of regional instability, practitioner of transnational assassinations and a hotbed of disinformation campaign across the globe. Delhi’s aggressive posturing stems less from confidence and more from frustration at its inability to harm Pakistan, that has been brutally exposed during Marka-e-Haq. Indian leadership would be well advised not to attempt to push South Asia towards another crisis or war whose consequences would only be devastating for the complete region and beyond. India needs to reconcile with Pakistan’s salience and learn to peacefully co-exist with it. Otherwise, any attempt to target Pakistan can trigger consequences that shall neither be geographically confined nor strategically or politically palatable for India.

“When friendship develops between the people of two countries, it naturally helps improve relations between the countries themselves,” former Indian army chief Gen (retired) Manoj Naravane said. dawn.com/news/2000151/f…