EXCLUSIVE Pakistan has devolved into an 'extremist Islamic state' with a 'low threshold' for activating its nuclear arsenal, Indian security analyst Sarjan P Shah tells the Mail's 'Apocalypse Now?' podcast
The world has not fully woken up to the fact that Pakistan has become an 'Islamic extremist, nuclear-powered state', Indian security analyst Sarjan P Shah warned on the latest episode of the Mail's 'Apocalypse Now?' podcast.
Tensions between India and Pakistan reached their highest level in almost a decade on Wednesday after 31 people were killed in missile strikes against Islamabad controlled Kashmir.
India claims the strikes targeted 'terrorist infrastructure' in the disputed region. Many view the attack as retaliation for the killing of 22 Indian tourists by four gunmen in Pahalgam on the 22nd of April.
Indian officials described the perpetrators as terrorists who had 'cross-border links' to Pakistan.
Speaking to the Mail's special correspondent David Patrikarakos, security analyst Mr Shah said the latest escalation between the two countries is a result of Pakistani officials increasingly extreme and hawkish rhetoric towards India.
He explained: 'A week before the 22nd of April, Pakistan's army general, Asim Munir, delivered an incendiary speech.
'What stood out to me, and I think all close observers of Pakistan, was the intransigence and almost Islamofascist ideology that the general expressed.
'To resounding applause, he described Kashmir as Pakistan's jugular vein – and then a week later, we saw this incident.
'What most people have not yet recognised is the gradual seep of extremist interpretations of Islam throughout Pakistani society.
'The world has failed to see that, in many ways, Pakistan is truly an extremist Islamic, nuclear-powered state.'
On Thursday, both sides accused the other of using drones to attack its separate territory inside of Kashmir.
Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan. When British India was partitioned, the contested region sought independence but later acceded into India after Pakistan tried to invade the entire territory.
Kashmir is now a hotbed for tensions, with India, Pakistan and China all controlling swathes of the majority Muslim province.
Mr Shah then described what he called Pakistan's 'crazy Ivan strategy', denoting the nation's low threshold for the use of its nuclear weapons.
India fired missiles at Pakistani territory early on May 7, killing several people, according to Pakistan, which said it had begun retaliating in a major escalation
Pakistan is assumed to possess around 170 nuclear warheads, making it the world's sixth greatest nuclear power.
Due to its small economy and population size compared to India, Pakistan has always threatened it would deploy its warheads in the event of a war between the two nations.
'India has consistently maintained a no first strike policy', Mr Shah said.
'In contrast, Pakistani nuclear doctrine maintains the right to first strike – which makes sense given their conventional inferiority against India's armed forces.
'But there's an additional layer to this – there's a phrase in Hindi I like to use, which translated into English, would be something like, Pakistan's crazy Ivan strategy.
'Pakistan's nuclear doctrine tries to send a message to the world that the country is actually crazy enough to use these things.
'The message is, we have a low threshold to activate our nuclear arsenal, as Pakistan believes it is its best deterrent against India, or any adversaries.
'India has now started calling their bluff – and are seeing how it can go, in order to express a zero-tolerance policy as far as terrorism in Kashmir is concerned.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Three dead after crowd surge at Hindu festival in Odisha sparks stampede
A terrifying stampede has killed three people in India after a sudden crowd surge at a Hindu festival. People were left 'breathless' when thousands of devotees had gathered in the city of Puri in the coastal state of Odisha. Several others were injured during the crush, although an exact figure has not been released. One local outlet reported that 50 people were injured, six of whom are in a critical condition. The carnage allegedly started when a lorry carrying logs entered the area around the temple, causing panic to the worshippers who were sitting on plastic mats. Confusion spread as the lorry began unloading leading to several trampled as people tried to get away from the narrow space, it was reported in Pragatavadi. They added that eyewitnesses said festival-goers were the first to help the victims, rather than the emergency response teams. The festival, the Ratha Yatra of Puri, is believed to be one of the oldest and largest Hindu chariot processions that takes place every year in honour of three deities. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the 'tragic incident' occurred due to the 'overwhelming rush of devotees'. He added that the 'negligence' was 'unforgivable' and a probe has been launched to uncover how the 'safety lapses' allowed the tragedy to unfold. The situation is now under control and extra police have been dispatched to help manage the crowd, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said. 'I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,' Majhi posted on social media platform X. 'This negligence is unforgivable. I have directed an immediate investigation into the safety lapses and exemplary actions will be taken against those responsible.' The leader of the opposition, BJD President Naveen Patnaik, blasted the 'glaring example of administrative failure' and the ' the government's shocking abdication of responsibility'. 'There was a sudden surge in the crowd. Nine devotees experienced breathlessness and were taken to hospital. While three died, the others are in stable condition,' Siddharth Swain, a district administrative official, told reporters. Deadly stampedes and crowd crushes are a common occurrence at Indian religious festivals. On Friday, a panicked elephant trampled a crowd of festival-goers at the Rath Yatra celebrations through Khadia, an area in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The male elephant was part of an 18 animal strong procession when it appears to have become spooked. The colourfully dressed creature seems to be looking for a way out from the busy streets when he storms away from its handlers and charges towards a crowd pressed up against some railings. Several terrified people get caught under the elephant's feet and the collapsing railing as the huge animal bulldozes through, waving its tusks. Dozens rush to help the squashed festival-goers once the creature makes its way further down the street, two more elephants in tow. RK Sahu, Superintendent of the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden told The Times of India: 'Following protocol, the elephant was immediately given a tranquilliser injection. 'Two female elephants were used to gently herd him away from the crowd, in line with our standard safety strategy.' The Indian outlet reported that no one was injured and the alarmed crowd was able to be brought back under control. The colourfully dressed creature seems to be looking for a way out from the busy streets when he charges towards a railing (out of shot), with dozens of people running after him They added that the elephant was the only male in the procession and will not be re-joining the troop. In May, six people were crushed to death in the state of Goa after thousands gathered for a popular fire-walking ritual. And in January, at least 30 people were killed in an early morning crush at the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu mega-festival in the northern city of Prayagraj.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Pakistan blames ‘Indian proxy' after car bombing kills 13 soldiers near Afghan border
An explosive-laden car ploughed into a Pakistani military convoy near the Afghanistan border on Saturday, killing at least 13 soldiers. The convoy was attacked in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district, the army said in a statement. 'In this tragic and barbaric incident, three innocent civilians, including two children and a woman, also got severely injured,' it added. The military said they launched a counterinsurgency operation in the area after the attack and killed at least 14 gunmen. Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif denounced the attack as a "cowardly act". Army chief Asim Munir said any attempt to undermine Pakistan 's internal stability would be met with swift and decisive retribution. 'It was huge, a big bang,' a local administrator in North Waziristan told Reuters, adding that residents could see big plumes of smoke billowing from far away. One resident said the explosion rattled windowpanes of nearby houses and caused some roofs to collapse. No one had claimed responsibility for the attack by Sunday morning. The military claimed that the attack was carried out by insurgents backed by India, an allegation the neighbouring country promptly rejected. The attack was executed by an Indian proxy, the Pakistani army said. 'We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack on Waziristan on 28 June,' Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. 'We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves.' North Waziristan, a lawless district next to Afghanistan, has long served as a safe haven for Islamist militant groups who operate on both sides of the border. Islamabad says the militants run training camps in Afghanistan to launch attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies, saying the militancy is Pakistan's domestic issue. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of militant outfits also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has long been waging a war to overthrow the government in Islamabad and replace it with its own Islamic system of governance.
Times
11 hours ago
- Times
Who will be the next Dalai Lama? As he turns 90, Tibetan leader is making plans
T ucked away behind a small green gate off a bustling street in Dharamshala, a former British hill station in northern India, schoolchildren in pristine blazers play in the intermittent monsoon rains. They may not know it, but it's possible that one of them might be the future spiritual leader of a six million-strong community of Tibetans. Outside, the city is buzzing. Next Sunday, July 6, the 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90. Along with his celebrations he will also address, after 88 years as the figurehead of the Tibetan people, the question of his succession. He is expected to announce that when he dies a living successor will take up his mantle; probably a young child just like he was when he was chosen. 'It would be best if he stays longer, until 113,' says nine-year-old Tenzin Wangmo, at the TCV school for Tibetan children. Her classmates are preparing to perform traditional guitar and dancing for next week's celebrations.
