Adviser to Pakistan’s National Command Authority (NCA) and former director general of the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), retired Lieutenant General Mazhar Jamil, has warned that what he described as a “dangerous ideology” influencing Indian military thinking poses serious risks to South Asia’s nuclear stability.
Addressing a workshop titled “Nuclear Deterrence and Strategic Stability in South Asia” in London, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Jamil said India’s military doctrines reflected a “poor strategic sense of nuclear realities” and could endanger regional and international security.
He said political beliefs and strategic thinking shaped regional security, stressing that military adventurism and hegemonic ambitions were highly risky in a nuclearised environment.
Jamil described Kashmir as the core unresolved dispute between Pakistan and India, saying it should be settled in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. He accused India of avoiding a political resolution and relying on military force to manage the dispute and exert pressure on Pakistan.
He argued that conflicts could not be resolved through military action alone and urged India to pursue dialogue, warning that military confrontation between nuclear-armed states could produce uncontrollable consequences.
Criticising India’s political ideology, Jamil alleged that Hindutva-driven nationalism and the concept of “Greater Bharat” reflected regional hegemonic ambitions. He also expressed concern over what he described as the marginalisation of Muslims and other non-Hindu communities in India.
He said this ideological outlook had increasingly influenced Indian military thinking, while warning that international support for India’s strategic ambitions had contributed to a false sense of regional dominance.
Jamil criticised India’s expanding nuclear and missile programmes, alleging that they were advancing without adequate regard for arms control and strategic stability. He also questioned the international community’s approach towards India’s nuclear status, including the Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver, and raised concerns about Indian nuclear facilities operating outside International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
He said access to advanced technologies, space-based capabilities and dual-use weapons systems had blurred the distinction between conventional and nuclear warfare, increasing the risk of miscalculation. Referring to the accidental launch of a BrahMos missile into Pakistan in March 2022, Jamil questioned India’s command-and-control arrangements and criticised its failure to share the investigation’s findings. He also described the use of dual-capable BrahMos missiles during the May 2025 military conflict as a dangerous provocation.
Discussing the 2019 and May 2025 crises, Jamil criticised Indian leaders’ rhetoric and accused New Delhi of escalating tensions through military action and premature allegations against Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. He said Indian planners had underestimated Pakistan’s resolve and capabilities, arguing that Pakistan’s response had been guided by political direction and strategic restraint rather than impulsive escalation.
Jamil maintained that Pakistan’s decision to agree to a ceasefire helped prevent a wider catastrophe, while noting that US President Donald Trump played a role in the outcome. He warned that India’s alleged pursuit of escalation dominance, combined with Pakistan’s restraint, was creating increasingly dangerous regional dynamics.
He also expressed concern over India’s reported sea-based nuclear capabilities and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, saying Pakistan could not ignore developments that threatened strategic stability.
Jamil further accused India of supporting militant organisations, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and called on the international community to hold New Delhi accountable for what he described as state-sponsored terrorism.
He also criticised India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, saying it had added another layer of tension to an already volatile relationship.
Concluding his address, Jamil said Pakistan remained committed to peace, responsible nuclear stewardship and dialogue to resolve disputes, particularly Kashmir. He proposed establishing a robust crisis management mechanism as a first step towards reducing tensions.
However, he warned that Pakistan’s restraint had limits and that any future military aggression would carry serious consequences. He urged Indian leadership to abandon policies of military dominance and pursue political engagement, stressing that the welfare of South Asia’s nearly two billion people should not be jeopardised by regional hegemonic ambitions.