ISLAMABAD – Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad, has stated that any future escalation between Pakistan and India could lead to an extremely dangerous situation.
General Sahir Shamshad said that Pakistan and India have returned to the pre-April 22 status quo. Previously, tensions were limited to disputed areas, but this time the conflict extended to the international border.
Speaking on the situation between the two countries, he said that both Pakistan and India are close to returning to the level of military deployment that existed before the recent conflict that began earlier this month. Both sides have started the process of de-escalating their forces.
He added that although there was no movement towards nuclear weapons during the conflict, the situation was still dangerous because this time the fighting was not limited to the Kashmir dispute. Military installations on the mainland of both countries were targeted, which increases the risk of future escalation.
General Sahir Shamshad warned that future tensions may not remain confined to disputed areas but could spread across the entirety of India and Pakistan — a very dangerous trend.
He also mentioned that there are currently no backchannel communications or informal talks to reduce tensions. He has no intention of meeting General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff.
