Rhetoric of Recklessness

Pakistan is seen to be doing hectic diplomacy in trying to mediate between Iran and the US for the de-escalation of the ongoing military conflict. However, it appears this is not happening, and there are conflicting signals from Iran regarding participation in the mediation. Things are looking uncertain and fluid. Under these circumstances, an outburst (April 4) from Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif targeting India speaks of outright belligerence and a threatened misadventure. This is most unbecoming of a Defence Minister when the world is in turmoil due to the war in Iran. Khawaja Asif was categorical in saying that any future conflict with India would not be confined to the border and could possibly reach deep inside India, naming Kolkata as the potential target. Further, Asif did not stop at Kolkata and, raising the pitch, said the next round of conflict will force India to face even greater “humiliation” than last year, implying Operation Sindoor. He said that this time, the conflict will not remain limited to 200-250 km, and Pakistan will enter their (India’s) territory and strike them inside their own homes. These aggressive and bizarre remarks reflect earlier warnings from Pakistan about expanding the theatre of conflict towards the east.

It needs recapitulation that Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Asim Munir, during his stay in the US, spoke on similar lines, threatening to extend the war to the Eastern theatre while speaking (August 10, 2025) before a section of the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa, Florida. He also threatened to use the nuclear arsenal for this. Here, Munir’s tenor was more acrimonious, aggressive, and clearly posturing with war-like hysterics. His threat to plunge the region into nuclear war, should his country face an existential threat, saying “we are a nuclear nation; if we think we are going down, we will take half the world down with us,” is alarming. Pakistan Defence Minister’s recent comments, very threatening in nature at this juncture, cannot be dismissed lightly, and they echo Munir’s aggressive rhetoric.

Studying such threats, first by Munir and now by the Defence Minister, focusing on India’s Eastern flank, a pattern seems to emerge: a systematic, periodic issuance of threats from so-called responsible quarters. This implies that Pakistan continues to be on its mischief trail not only in order to pinprick India but also to address its domestic constituency about its self-proclaimed military jingoism, as also to reiterate the false notion that it had “outclassed” India in last year’s military conflict leading to Operation Sindoor.

It may also be recalled that this month, on April 22, we observe the Pahalgam massacre carried out by Pakistan. Preceding this, on April 16, 2025, Asim Munir had addressed a group of non-resident Pakistanis in Islamabad in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where he had said that Pakistan’s enemies are mistaken in thinking that a handful of terrorists can dictate the country’s destiny. He had underscored that even ten generations of terrorists cannot damage Baluchistan or Pakistan, adding that Baluchistan is not only vital to the country’s future but also a symbol of national pride. In the same vein, Munir had touched upon the “two-nation theory” and made acerbically divisive remarks. Khawaja Asif’s latest remarks are more or less on similar lines.

Meanwhile, dwelling upon a terror-centric issue prevailing in Pakistan, a latest US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report offers a sharp reality check. It says Pakistan remains a haven for a wide array of terrorist groups. Despite the 2014 National Action Plan’s aim to dismantle all armed militias, 15 major groups continue to operate across five broad categories—globally oriented, Afghanistan-oriented, India- and Kashmir-oriented, domestically oriented, and sectarian—as per the report, as quoted extensively in The Times of India. 12 of these 15 groups are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) under US law, with most driven by extremist ideology. The report underscores a fundamental failure in dismantling these networks, noting that both US- and UN-designated terrorist organisations continue to operate openly on Pakistani soil. Particular emphasis is placed on India-centric groups like Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), which maintain active cadres of 1,500 and 500 armed supporters, respectively. On the regional front, Pakistan remains a base for India-specific groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish, and Hizbul, which seek the annexation of Kashmir.

Further, US officials have also linked the Haqqani Network to Pakistan’s own intelligence services. Despite being removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” in 2022, Pakistan remains designated by the US as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom, as some madrassas continue teaching doctrines that could lead to greater acceptance of extremist ideology. From the dormant anti-Shia Sipah-e-Sahaba to the active Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, the sheer diversity of these outfits illustrates a multi-layered security challenge that neither airstrikes nor diplomatic manoeuvres have been able to resolve, the report revealed. The reality is further punctuated by a spike in terrorism-linked deaths that reached 4,001 in 2025—the highest in 11 years. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) remains the deadliest domestic threat, seeking Sharia law in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Coming back to the Defence Minister’s unsavoury comments, the Pakistan establishment would do well to refrain from such irresponsible and provocative statements. They surely lack political or diplomatic maturity. Munir and other Pakistani ministers are perhaps under the wrong notion that the US, particularly President Trump, has its hand on them. Trump is known to be unpredictable, mercurial, and tentative. Drawing strength from the US and using a militarist tenor against India might prove counterproductive to Pakistan, as the world today is highly volatile, and igniting any fresh spark could lead to catastrophic consequences. India, too, is more vigilant than before and fully geared to foil any misadventure by Pakistan, be it covert or otherwise.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is a retired IPS officer, Adviser NatStrat, and a former National Security Advisor in Mauritius