Letting roots of Pak-India conflict fester invites more danger, warns ex-CJCSC

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat has cautioned that allowing the roots of Pak-India disputes to fester could lead to more dangerous conflicts in the future. Speaking at the concluding session of the second Islamabad Non-Proliferation Conference, Gen Hayat emphasized that dismissing the core issues of Jammu and Kashmir or converting water from a shared necessity into an instrument of power would not resolve the situation.

He stressed the importance of addressing the Kashmir dispute and the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Gen Hayat warned that repeated crises between nuclear-armed neighbors, coupled with diminishing restraint and lack of sustained political dialogue, could heighten regional security risks. He mentioned the May 2025 conflict, where Pakistan showcased its military capabilities and political control with a measured response, preventing India from gaining a unilateral victory.

However, he cautioned that there is no safe space for war between two nuclear-armed nations, and future conflicts would likely involve different leaders, emerging technologies, and shorter decision-making timelines, increasing the risk of miscalculation.

The South Asian region currently lacks an inclusive regional security framework and effective crisis-management mechanisms, he noted. Gen Hayat warned that unverified allegations could trigger conflicts before facts were established, potentially arising from accidents rather than deliberate state decisions. He cited Operation Sindoor as an example of such a situation.