‘We will not allow strategic stability equation to be disturbed’, Gen Kidwai

Abdullah Jan

Islamabad: Speaking at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) on Wednesday, Lt. Gen Khalid Kidwai, Advisor to National Command Authority and former DG SPD, asserted that ‘Pakistan’s entire spectrum of deterrence—from strategic to operational and tactical, combined with its ready nuclear capability—demonstrates Pakistan’s resolve to protect its land from any kind of external aggression’.

He emphasized that ‘Pakistan’s Full Spectrum Deterrence (FSD) doctrine has been effectively countering India’s aggressive designs and keeping its ‘Cold Start Doctrine or ‘Proactive Operations’ under check.

Given the role and importance of Pakistan’s nukes in maintaining strategic stability in South Asia, Gen Kidwai, termed Pakistan’s strategic weapons, especially the Tactical Nuclear Weapons, as ‘weapons of peace’ as they had been effectively ensuring strategic equilibrium in the region. He also noted that ‘Pakistan’s nuclear program enjoys a wide national consensus as being central to Pakistan’s national security’, and was indeed an inherent strength.

Commenting on the dynamic and elusive nature of changing geo-political realities in the region, he said that ‘it has increasingly become Pakistan’s responsibility not to allow the strategic stability equation to be disturbed to its disadvantage’. Gen Kidwai criticized India’s mantra of ‘Ghar mein ghus k marenge’ (will chase infiltrators inside Pakistan) as mere political rhetoric stemming from frustration over Pakistan’s strong nuclear capabilities that deterred one of the world’s largest militaries.

He told the participants that Pakistan has always shown restraint and maturity as a responsible nuclear power in defusing Indian-generated tensions, and preventing them from spiraling into potential catastrophe as was evident from the Balakot incident in 2019.

Gen Kidwai underscored that Pakistan’s strong nuclear capability had constrained India’s conventional military options, leading India to engage in 5th generation warfare against Pakistan. Countering the Indian propaganda onslaught, he emphasized the need for ‘increased vigilance and preparedness’. He noted that the retaliatory options of Offensive-defence were valid for countering that hybrid strategy since ‘Defensive-defence alone could not do so.

While endorsing Gen Kidwai’s statement, Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Professor and Dean of Social Sciences at QAU, said that Pakistan must adopt a multi-pronged strategy to counter India’s propaganda machine. He also noted that the growing US defense collaboration with New Delhi to counter China was further complicating South Asia’s already fragile security environment, highlighting the necessity for nuclear diplomacy.

Earlier, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of IRS, cautioned that India’s increasing defense procurement and advanced weaponry posed new threats to South Asia’s stability, beyond the threat of direct confrontation. He also highlighted the desirability of resumption of dialogue and revival of confidence-building measures amid region’s increasingly fragile strategic environment, for which the onus was on India to adopt a more conducive approach.