Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza cautioned against India’s pursuit of regional hegemony, saying it undermines efforts to resolve conflicts in South Asia and threatens peace in the region.
Addressing the prestigious Shangri-La Dialogue, a global security summit held in Singapore, General Mirza stressed that security arrangements cannot be effective without mutual trust and inclusive participation.
He highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive and institutionalised crisis management framework in South Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
“Regional stability should not rest solely on military strength but on principles of trust, patience, and mutual respect,” he said, pointing to the longstanding Kashmir dispute, increasing India-Pakistan-China tensions, and the ongoing instability in Afghanistan as key challenges.
General Mirza warned that the presence of nuclear weapons in the region has greatly magnified the risk of miscalculation. “In such a scenario, effective communication channels are indispensable to avoid unintended escalation,” he added.
Criticising India’s expanding military preparations and its support from Western powers, General Mirza accused New Delhi of prioritising dominance over peaceful conflict resolution. “India’s ambition to establish hegemony has reached a point where it evades meaningful conflict resolution,” he said.
He highlighted recent escalations between Pakistan and India, describing the lowered threshold for war as a grave threat to the region’s one and a half billion people.
The general condemned India’s threats to target civilian areas and attempts to unilaterally terminate the Indus Waters Treaty as “existential threats” and “potential declarations of war” against Pakistan.
Despite these tensions, General Mirza reiterated Pakistan’s preference for dialogue and diplomacy. “Peace is achievable only through talks based on mutual respect, equal sovereignty, and dignity,” he emphasised.
Turning to the wider Asia-Pacific, the general expressed concern over intensifying military competition among major powers and warned that security architectures imposed without the involvement of regional countries will lack legitimacy and effectiveness. He urged activation of existing bilateral, regional, and global mechanisms rather than creating new frameworks repeatedly.
On the global stage, General Mirza lamented the erosion of principles and ethics in international affairs, noting that “state sovereignty and international law are being trampled upon” and multilateral cooperation has been replaced by narrow alliances driven by power and interests.
He stressed the importance of establishing regular procedures, pre-agreed rules of engagement, and joint military exercises to mitigate crises. Additionally, he identified emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber warfare as complicating factors that reduce decision-making time and challenge traditional deterrence.
Highlighting the role of strategic communication, General Mirza warned that misinformation, narrative warfare, and distortion of facts further fuel tensions in the region.
Concluding his address, General Mirza reaffirmed Pakistan’s long-standing position on Kashmir, calling for a resolution in line with United Nations resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people as essential for lasting peace in South Asia.
