ISLAMABAD: Former Director General Strategic Plans Division retired Lt-Gen Khalid Ahmed Kidwai has said that Pakistan will ensure that strategic stability in the region is not disturbed.

Gen Kidwai was speaking at a conference organised by Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) on, ‘Strategic Stability and Nuclear Security: Global and Regional Perspectives’, according to a press release issued by the think tank.

In his keynote address, Gen Kidwai highlighted that in the strategic stability-instability paradigm of South Asia, it has become Pakistan’s responsibility to ensure that strategic stability will not be disturbed at any stage, despite India’s consistent efforts to swing the pendulum towards instability.

Being a responsible nuclear weapon State, Pakistan will not let destabilising inductions and doctrines to create instability.

Mr Kidwai raised the possibility of yet another false flag operation by India as a signature electoral strategy prior to the upcoming State Elections in Feb 2022 in five States, including the critical States of Uttar Pradesh and East Punjab.

He cautioned India not to consider Pakistan’s robust nuclear capability as a bluff. He stated, “If an irresponsible military adventure were to be undertaken by India again, Pakistan will respond forcefully under its retaliatory doctrine of ‘Quid Pro Quo Plus’, as it did successfully the very next day of Balakot on February 27, 2019.”

In deliberations on “global strategic stability and its implications for South Asia”, it was pointed out that the great power competition is giving impetus to development and modernization of weapon systems that are undermining the basic pillars of strategic stability. The so-called Indo-Pacific strategy is giving rise to regional insecurities and threatening the deterrent relationship between the regional players.

Regarding “Regional Security Dynamics of South Asia: Opportunities and Challenges,” the speakers were of the views that the region faces security challenges owing to increasing military asymmetries, fueled by global power competition. Concerns were raised about the environment of unresolved disputes like Kashmir and absence of dispute resolution mechanisms.

Projecting Hindustan as net security provider and foundational agreements like Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement only give New Delhi room for strategic manoeuvring and military advantage over other States at the cost of legitimate security concerns of others.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2021