ISLAMABAD – Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has revealed that Pakistan relied entirely on its domestic military resources during a recent 96-hour conflict with India, asserting that no foreign assistance was sought or received.
In an interview with the BBC, Gen Shamshad categorically dismissed reports suggesting that Pakistan received external support, including satellite intelligence from allies such as China. “The equipment we used was either developed domestically or acquired beforehand. But in real-time, it was Pakistan’s capability that came into play,” he said. “We fought the entire conflict with our resources. No help came from anywhere.” Gen Shamshad’s remarks provide a rare official account of the brief but intense military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
While he did not disclose the specific timeline or nature of the clash, he noted a key shift: unlike previous skirmishes largely confined to border areas, the recent conflict extended into urban centres. “There is a relative calm on the borders now, but tension in the cities has increased. In the future, conflict will not remain restricted to specific areas,” he cautioned, signalling a potential shift like India-Pakistan hostilities.
On the state of bilateral relations, the senior military official expressed concern over the lack of a structured communication mechanism between the two countries. “We rely solely on the DGMO (Director General Military Operations) hotline for emergency communication,” he said, describing it as inadequate for managing high-stakes confrontations.
He also warned of the growing threat posed by extremism in the region. “When dealing with an extremist mind-set, the window for international intervention becomes very narrow,” he said. “This time, the United States and a few others did step in, but even that window has become very limited.”
Tensions between India and Pakistan remain high, particularly over the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. While both sides have publicly expressed a desire for peace, relations have been marred by frequent cross-border incidents and diplomatic breakdowns. The last major escalation occurred in 2019 following the Pulwama attack and retaliatory airstrikes by both countries.
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