Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore that both sides had already begun reducing forces deployed along the border. He said, "We are almost back to the status quo ante of April 22... We are getting close to that, or we should be close now."
The clashes between the two nuclear-armed neighbors erupted following an attack on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people. New Delhi accused Pakistani-backed militant groups of being behind the attack, accusations Islamabad strongly denied.
In response, India launched missile strikes on May 7 targeting what it described as "terrorist infrastructure" inside Pakistani territory. Islamabad responded with counterattacks, prompting both sides to reinforce their forces on the border and escalating into one of the largest military confrontations between the two countries in decades.
General Mirza warned that the recent conflict had increased the fragility of the situation, although there were no indications of any intention to use nuclear weapons during the clashes. He said, "Nothing happened this time... but a strategic miscalculation cannot be ruled out at any time, because when a crisis occurs, the reactions are different."
He pointed out that what makes the situation even more dangerous is that this time the fighting has extended beyond the disputed border of Kashmir, with both India and Pakistan targeting military installations within each other's territory, with neither side acknowledging any significant damage.
He added, "This escalation could cross the nuclear threshold between the two countries. In the future, the conflict may not be limited to Kashmir, but rather encompass the entire territories of India and Pakistan. This is an extremely dangerous development."
In this context, Mirza expressed pessimism about the international community's ability to defuse future crises, saying, "The time available for international intervention is currently very short, and destruction may occur before the world can exploit this time."
Regarding the possibility of direct talks, Mirza confirmed that there are no secret or official negotiations underway to ease tensions. He also indicated that he does not plan to meet with his Indian counterpart, General Anil Chauhan, who is also in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Forum.
The Pakistani general concluded his remarks by saying, "These issues can only be resolved through dialogue and negotiation at the negotiating table, not on the battlefield."
It is noteworthy that India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, two of which were over Kashmir.
