Latest news with #Mirza
Gulf Today
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, says senior military general
Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on 'terrorists' backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were 'terrorist infrastructure' sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview that the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's ministry of defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time,' he said. 'But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.' He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Mirza said. 'This is a very dangerous trend.' Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. New Delhi has maintained a hard line on any possible rapprochement. 'If there are talks, it will only be on terrorism and (Pakistan Kashmir),' Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. 'If Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over India so that justice is served.' Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La Forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza said. Reuters
Express Tribune
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Future war risks engulfing whole countries: CJCSC
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025, in this screengrab from a video. Photo:REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop buildup along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Reuters on Friday. However, he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The recent clashes between Pakistan and India arose following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people. New Delhi blamed the incident without evidence on Pakistani elements, a charge denied by Islamabad, which sought an independent probe into the incident. On May 7, India launched missiles at civilian sites. This prompted a defensive response from Pakistan and a subsequent troop buildup by both countries along the frontier. General Mirza said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. "We have almost come back to the pre-April 22 situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now," said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian Chief of Defence Staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. "Nothing happened this time," he said. "But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different." He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to IIOJK. "This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan," Mirza said. "This is a very dangerous trend." Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India, and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India continues to deny any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. "The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community," he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. "These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, at the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Mirza said.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Weeks after Operation Sindoor, Indian CDS and Pakistani counterpart attend conference in Singapore
Barely weeks after the ceasefire between the two militaries following Operation Sindoor, Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan and Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) General Shamshad Mirza will address parallel sessions at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore on Saturday (May 31, 2025). While the military leaders are not expected to meet, the four-day conflict that broke out when India launched strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan, is likely to be one of the issues discussed at the conference, which is hosted annually by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. French President Emmanuel Macron gave a keynote address on Friday (May 29, 2025), and U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will both address the conference on Saturday. General Chauhan will speak along with military chiefs from Brazil, Germany, Ukraine, and the U.S.'s Indo-Pacific Command chief at a panel on 'Defence Innovation Solutions for Future Challenges', where the development and use of drone warfare, cyber ware, and artificial intelligence are likely to be discussed. In a simultaneous session, General Mirza will be part of a panel with military counterparts and officials from Canada, Fiji, and the Pacific Islands Forum, speaking about 'Regional Crisis Management Mechanisms'. Troop reduction In an interview to Reuters on the sidelines of the conference in Singapore on Friday, General Mirza said that troop levels at the border had 'almost come back' to the situation prior to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. 'This [conflict] lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers,' General Mirza was quoted as saying in the interview. 'In the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to [the] whole of India and [the] whole of Pakistan,' he said, calling the situation a 'dangerous trend' and adding that Pakistan is 'open to dialogue' with India. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence did not comment on the interview. On Thursday (May 28, 2025), however, the MEA had rejected Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's suggestion of talks, saying that India would only talk to Pakistan about the return of wanted terrorists and Pakistani troops vacating Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and no other talks are possible until Pakistan stops supporting terror groups on its territory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also rejected Pakistan's 'nuclear blackmail' in a speech in May, adding that any terrorist attack in the future would be seen as an 'act of war' that India would respond to. New American ambitions Mr. Hegseth's speech on the U.S.'s 'new ambitions' for Indo-Pacific security will also be closely watched at the conference that brings U.S. and Chinese defence officials on the same platform. In particular, the Trump administration's vision for the Quad Summit that India is hosting this year will be significant. China is being represented by Major General Hu Gangfeng, vice president of the National Defense University, who will speak at another parallel session at the same time as General Chauhan's session. He is expected to speak about managing nuclear proliferation risks in the region. A note issued by the Ministry of Defence said that, during his visit to Singapore, General Chauhan will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (with inputs from Devesh K. Pandey)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
'Can't rule out strategic miscalculation': Pakistani general warns of escalation risk despite India-Pak troop drawdown
Despite signs of de-escalation along the India-Pakistan border, with both sides beginning to reduce troops after their worst clashes in decades, a top Pakistani military general has warned that the risk of future escalation remains high read more General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025, in this screengrab from a video. Reuters Despite signs of de-escalation along the India-Pakistan border, with both sides beginning to reduce troops after their worst clashes in decades, a top Pakistani military general has warned that the risk of future escalation remains high. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during the conflict, it was a dangerous situation. 'Nothing happened this time, but you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different,' General Mirza said in an interview to Reuters, cautioning that while the immediate crisis may be easing, the underlying tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours remain dangerously volatile. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said that the risk of future escalation has grown, as the recent fighting extended beyond the disputed region of Kashmir, claimed in full by both countries but controlled in parts, into each country's mainland. Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. 'We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation… we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,' said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. According to Reuters, India's ministry of defence and the office of the Indian chief of defence staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. The latest round of hostilities between the long-time rivals was triggered by an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 civilians dead, most of them tourists. New Delhi accused Pakistan-backed 'terrorists' of carrying out the assault, a claim Islamabad firmly denied. In response, India launched missile strikes on May 7, targeting nine terrorist hideouts across the border. Pakistan retaliated with its own strikes, prompting both countries to amass additional troops along the frontier. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced on May 10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and have been involved in numerous armed skirmishes over the decades. New Delhi holds Islamabad responsible for terrorism in Kashmir that began in 1989 and has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Pakistan, however, insists it offers only moral, political, and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination. 'This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers…in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,' Reuters quoted Mirza as saying. 'This is a very dangerous trend,' he added. Reuters had earlier reported that the swift de-escalation of hostilities was partly the result of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the United States, India, and Pakistan, with Washington playing a key role in brokering peace. However, India has rejected any suggestion of third-party involvement in the ceasefire, maintaining that all engagement with Pakistan must be strictly bilateral. General Mirza cautioned, however, that international mediation may prove more difficult in future crises, citing the absence of formal crisis management mechanisms between the two countries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,' he was quoted as saying. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. New Delhi has maintained a hard line on any possible rapprochement. 'If there are talks, it will only be on terrorism and PoK," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. 'If Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over terrorists…to India so that justice is served,' he added. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. 'These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,' Mirza added. With inputs from agencies
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, India start reducing troops after border clashes: Lt. General Sahir Shamshad
General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025, in this screengrab from a video. Photo:REUTERS Listen to article Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop buildup along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbours this month, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future. Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced. The recent clashes between Pakistan and India arose following the Pahalgam attack on April 22 in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident without evidence on Pakistani elements, a charge denied by Islamabad, which sought an independent probe into the incident. Breaking 🚨 Pakistan & India withdraw troops from the forward positions, confirmed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. "We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation," Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza told Reuters. — Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) May 30, 2025 On May 7, India launched missiles at civilian sites, which it claims to describe as "terrorist infrastructure" across the border. This prompted a defensive response from Pakistan and a subsequent troop buildup by both countries along the frontier. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels. "We have almost come back to the pre-April 22 situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now," said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict. India's Ministry of Defence and the office of the Indian Chief of Defence Staff did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza. Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move towards nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation. "Nothing happened this time," he said. "But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different." He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the IIOJK, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. Dangerous trend The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over the disputed Kashmir region, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947. "This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan," Mirza said. "This is a very dangerous trend." Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India, and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India continues to deny any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral. But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries. "The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community," he said. Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries. Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions or informal talks to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India's chief of defence staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum. "These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, at the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield," Mirza said.
