'Seeking conflict with N-power will be sheer stupidity'

DG ISPR says Pakistan's nuclear programme is secure

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RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is fully secure, and invincible, the chief military spokesperson says, warning that seeking conflict with an established nuclear power for elusive objectives will be sheer stupidity.

In an interview, Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that India is involved in fomenting terrorism as part of an organised conspiracy to destabilise and disrupt security in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan.

General Chaudhry, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), explained that the term Fitna al-Khawarij refers to armed groups that attack the armed forces and the state of Pakistan, while the term Fitna al-Hindustan is used to describe terrorists, who are supported by India.

India's nefarious intentions are part of an organised conspiracy to destabilise and disrupt security in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, the DG ISPR told Al Jazeera TV in an exclusive interview.

India had adopted state-sponsored terrorism as a policy against Pakistan, he added, while commenting on last month's bomb blast in Waziristan in which 16 soldiers embraced martyrdom, while over 20 people sustained injuries, according to Al Jazeera TV.

The attack was claimed by Fitna al-Khawarij – a reference to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said. Pakistan has a clear stance that India is directly involved in these attacks, he added. "India is not only supporting but also financing terrorist activities in Pakistan."

The ISPR chief explained that the term Khawarij referred to armed groups that attacked the armed forces and the state of Pakistan. "The current Fitna al-Khawarij is a continuation of the misguided ideology that has historically led to the killing of Muslims under a false religious narrative," he said.

In Islam, the DG ISPR continued, the right to Jihad or armed conflict lies solely with the state — no individual, organisation, or group is authorized to declare it. "Fitna al-Khawarij has no connection with Islam, humanity, Pakistan, or Pakistani traditions," he said.

Lt-General Chaudhry said that the term Fitna al-Hindustan was used in Pakistan to describe terrorists, who were supported by India. "Fitna al-Hindustan is particularly active in destabilising the country, especially in the province of Balochistan," he said.

"Even India's political leadership has admitted multiple times to supporting terrorism within Pakistan," he said, adding that even the United States and Canada "have also acknowledged" Indian-state terrorism, he said.

Lt-General Chaudhry pointed out that Ajit Doval, India's the national security adviser (NSA), was the mastermind behind the Indian state-sponsored terrorism network. He declared that any aggression against Pakistan would be a threat to regional stability.

He made it clear that Pakistan was a responsible and declared nuclear power and its nuclear programme was completely secure. "Our nuclear capability is invincible and no one can dare to target our nuclear programme," he added.

The chief military spokesperson also addressed broader geopolitical issues, reaffirming Pakistan's support for Iran. "In the context of the recent conflict, Pakistan's support for Iran has been entirely principled — based on the UN Charter, international law, and the laws of armed conflict," he said.

When asked whether there was any concern in military that Pakistan could be the next target following recent developments in Iran, he denied such a notion. "Absolutely no concern whatsoever in the military that Pakistan can become the next target — absolutely no concern," he emphasised.

He stated that there was a "sea of difference" between Pakistan and these two countries. "We are an established and declared nuclear power, and the world has no experience of going to — or even attempting to go into - a misadventure against an established nuclear power," he said.

"If such a misadventure is taken or attempted, it will lead to horrific consequences which the world may not be able to endure. Hence, I have said it before and I will say it again very clearly - seeking military space or conflict space with an established nuclear power for elusive objectives is absurd, sheer stupidity, and inconvincible."

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)