Pakistan’s top military officer, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, has raised concerns about the possibility of a nuclear conflict with India, warning that “strategic miscalculation” in a crisis scenario can never be ruled out. His comments come just weeks after a major military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours during Operation Sindoor.
In an interview with Reuters, General Mirza, who serves as the chairman of Pakistan’s joint chiefs of staff, said there was no move towards nuclear weapons during the recent conflict but admitted the potential for future escalation. “Nothing happened this time,” Mirza said. “But you can’t rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.”
His remarks follow several statements by Pakistani leaders hinting at nuclear options in response to Indian military actions. Earlier this month, Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif had also warned of a possible nuclear confrontation amid heightened tensions.
India, however, has firmly dismissed these nuclear threats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated unequivocally that India will not be cowed by nuclear blackmail, while defence minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that India’s security decisions are guided by strategic priorities, not fear.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar, speaking to Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, stressed that India and Pakistan are still “very, very far away” from any real nuclear confrontation, even after recent clashes.
The comments from General Mirza also suggest a shift in Pakistan’s military posture, with the general noting that future escalations may not be confined to Jammu & Kashmir and could spread across the region.
The latest crisis, sparked by the Pahalgam terror attack, saw India launch Operation Sindoor—a series of precision strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation resulted in a four-day conflict before a ceasefire was reached.
While Pakistani leaders continue to evoke the spectre of nuclear war to draw international concern, India maintains a firm stance that it will act decisively against terrorism without being deterred by such threats.
