Pakistan PM says Indian bid to set ‘new norm' thwarted, vows focus on economy and governance

Arab News

2 days ago

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday highlighted a range of security threats facing Pakistan days after a military standoff with India, saying New Delhi's attempt to establish a 'new norm' by targeting his country at will had been thwarted, though Pakistan must now focus on strengthening economy and governance.
The remarks came during a televised address to senior military officers at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, where the premier recounted the recent escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The flare-up followed an April attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on a Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation and called for an impartial probe, but tensions rapidly escalated into four days of cross-border hostilities, ending after a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
'The threats we face are no longer limited to conventional battlefields,' Sharif said during his address. 'They are multifaceted, ranging from kinetic warfare to cyberattacks, economic coercion to disinformation campaigns and hybrid threats that challenge both our borders and our ideological frontiers.'
'The recent Indian aggression against Pakistan, violating our territorial integrity and targeting our innocent civilians, was not merely countered successfully, but instead we succeeded in turning the tables on those who were dreaming of establishing a new norm,' he said.
Sharif added that Pakistan accepted the ceasefire offer 'in the interest of peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia,' asserting that India's claim of a new strategic precedent 'was buried for all times to come by our brave armed forces.'
'In fact, it was Pakistan that established the new norm in its relations with India,' he said. 'Henceforth, we will not allow her to behave in an arrogant and haughty manner.'
The prime minister said India had suffered 'serious setbacks in both warfare and finest diplomacy' during the episode.
Turning to domestic matters, Sharif said while the military had fulfilled its responsibility, Pakistan still faced 'major challenges in the field of economy and governance.'
He cited the dire financial situation when his administration took office, saying it compelled Pakistan to seek external assistance from lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
However, he maintained the economy had since stabilized and was now on a positive trajectory.
The prime minister also criticized India's recent move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a World Bank-brokered water-sharing agreement signed in 1960, reiterating it was unacceptable to his country.
'We will not allow India to weaponize water by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance,' he said. 'This is an absolute red line for us.'