Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) MNA Dr Shireen Mazari voiced a grave concern over continuing silence of the government over the increasing bellicosity of India. She said it reflected government’s ignorance on critical strategic developments that directly threatens Pakistan.
Shireen Mazari, member of the NA Standing Committees on Defence and Foreign Affairs, flayed the government for its silence over the increasing bellicosity of the Indian leadership, especially the new Indian army chief and the fast-paced development of India’s nuclear arsenal.
She pointed out that General Rawat, after taking over command of the Indian Army, immediately asserted the centrality of the Cold Start Doctrine in the context of India’s military doctrine vis a vis Pakistan.
She said this is a destabilising doctrine that threatens the stability of the nuclear deterrence policy and shifts India from deterrence to a war-fighting mode. Yet our Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has maintained an inexplicable silence reflecting the government’s policy of ignoring a critical strategic development.
Mazari also pointed out that the government and defence establishment has seemingly ignored not only this doctrinal development but also its ongoing fast paced nuclear force development and posturing, especially its development of MIRVs alongside its Ballistic Missile Defence.
While welcoming the successful testing of the submarine launched cruise missile by Pakistan, which gives Pakistan second strike capability, Mazari reiterated that there was a need to address the growing strategic instability and also to make the world, especially India’s strategic allies, aware of the negative impact and fallout of India’s doctrinal and force posture developments in the region.
Instead of focusing on and targeting Pakistan’s strictly deterrence measures, the US and others actively aiding and abetting India’s nuclear weapons development should assess the impact of their military aid and support to India, she added.
Equally important, she said that our defence establishment should also explain their measures to counter these aggressive moves by India. So far there seems to be a disturbing sanguinity that one sees within the government and the defence establishment, the PTI leader maintained.