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KARACHI, Jun 21 (APP):Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA), Saturday, hosted a seminar cum webinar titled ‘ India-Pakistan war: Global responses and domestic fault lines’ to discuss post war scenario, measures required to augment Pakistan’s defense capabilities and to maintain deterrence in South Asia.
Former Secretary Defence, Lt. Gen (r) Naeem Khalid Lodhi, addressing the seminar, highlighted that India has been preparing for war against Pakistan since 2019 and was also involved in hybrid warfare tactics. They waged the war by building a euphoria in the pretext of terrorism but India miscalculated the global scenario as well as the internal dynamics of Pakistan and failed to achieve its objectives, he remarked.
“India failed to establish its narrative at international level and could not gain any diplomatic support from the world as the world refuted its false narrative,” he observed and added that the narrative of Pakistan was based on facts and well received by the world.
The war, though limited in its nature, was a conflict between two nuclear capable nations that attracted focus from around the globe specially of the world powers, he noted, adding that Pakistan armed forces efficiently responded to Indian aggression by shooting down Indian fighter jets including Rafael air crafts and destroying a large number of enemy drones.
Terming the Indian attack as failure of nuclear deterrence, Lt Gen (r) Lodhi emphasized that Pakistan Armed Forces re-established the deterrence in the region and further augmented it on the next day. He was of the opinion that India will return with more preparedness and we also need full scale preparedness to counter the enemy threats and maintain the peace in the region.
Besides reinforcing defense capabilities, he stressed that Pakistan needs to strengthen the economy, augment the social sector and focus on education and skill development to effectively counter any aggression and maintain the deterrence in the region in future.
Lt Gen (r) Lodhi, while responding to a query, termed it vital to strike a balance between relations with China and USA and said “We should not sacrifice the interests of China for the interests of the USA but we must keep our own interests supreme.”
Air Vice Marshal (r) Dr Muhammad Abid Rao, lauded the excellent performance of Pakistan armed forces during the recent Pak-India conflict and also pointed out domestic fault lines. He urged immediate measures to deal with challenges like burgeoning population growth, unequal distribution of wealth, over-religiosity, access to quality education, and fundamental reforms in the judicial and taxation systems of the country.
Ambassador (r) Hasan Habib noted that the recent Pakistan-India war featured some new warfare techniques like use of drones and fifth generation war tactics but international intervention, particularly laudable role by US president Donald Trump, prevented further escalation in the region.
Indus Water Treaty is an arrangement for distribution of river waters between two neighboring states and India has been violating the treaty, Hasan Habib observed and maintained that India could neither block the river flow on legal grounds nor it could associate the water with the issue of terrorism.
He stressed on the continuity of the Indus Water Treaty and facilitating dialogue between Pakistan and India for peace and stability in South Asia.
On the internal front, he urged on enhancing military and defense capabilities of Pakistan, raising the quality of education, more investment in the health sector, and dealing with the issue of brain drain.
Chairperson PIIA Dr Masooma Hasan and Secretary PIIA Dr Tanweer Khalid highlighted the objectives of the seminar and commended the response of armed forces against the enemy aggression and diplomatic approach adopted by Pakistan during the recent conflict.