In a provocative statement, Najam Sethi, a close aide to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), warned that Islamabad would not hesitate to use tactical nuclear weapons against the Indian military in the event of a conflict.
Speaking in an interview with Samaa TV, Sethi said, “If the Indian military enters Pakistan with the plan of breaking the country, splitting Karachi and Lahore, then we will use tactical nuclear weapons on our soil to defend ourselves.”
He further claimed that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was not for show, declaring, “We have ample missiles. These are not kept for Diwali; they will be used when the time comes.”
Sethi also raised water security as another potential flashpoint. He warned that if India were to block Pakistan’s rivers by building dams, Islamabad would retaliate with multiple missile strikes. “If you stop our water, we will use not one but 10 missiles and blow up your dams. Blocking water is like attacking our existence,” he asserted, invoking Pakistan’s reliance on the Indus River system.
The remarks come amid heightened rhetoric between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, following India’s increased defence preparedness and recent tensions along the border. Defence analysts, however, described Sethi’s comments as “irresponsible posturing” that could further escalate instability in the region.
