Tensions between India and Pakistan flared on the global stage at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue, as top generals from both countries exchanged stark warnings amid the fallout of India’s Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
In back-to-back sessions at the high-level defence summit in Singapore, India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza issued sharply contrasting messages regarding regional security, terror, and Kashmir.
General Chauhan, referencing the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists, stated that India has redrawn its “red line” on terror and will no longer tolerate cross-border attacks. “We have been subjected to this proxy war of terror for almost two decades… we want to put an end to it,” he said. He noted that Operation Sindoor, which destroyed nine terror bases in Pakistan and PoK from May 7 to May 10, was a demonstration of India’s new strategic threshold.
Chauhan asserted, “This operation lies in the military domain and should bring about some lessons for our adversary. This is the limit of India’s tolerance.”
Meanwhile, General Mirza responded by urging a shift from “conflict management to conflict resolution”, strongly invoking the Kashmir issue. “The core that resides between Pakistan and India is Kashmir,” he said, stressing that sustainable peace in South Asia can only be achieved by resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He warned that the current absence of a structured crisis management mechanism could lead to rapid escalation and destruction, adding that strategic stability has reached “dangerous levels” following recent military confrontations.
Mirza also accused the West of “emboldening India” by supporting its role as a regional security provider, claiming this discourages India from engaging in de-escalation.
India has firmly denied the need for third-party involvement in Kashmir, maintaining that it is an internal matter, while Pakistan continues to push for international mediation.
The verbal duel drew intense attention at the regional security forum, which concluded Sunday. According to Mirza, countries like the US, UK, Turkiye, China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE played backchannel roles during Operation Sindoor as interlocutors, helping defuse the four-day conflict.
The Shangri-La Dialogue saw both nuclear-armed neighbours airing grievances and red lines in front of a global audience, underscoring the fragility of peace in the subcontinent — and the urgent need for robust diplomatic frameworks to avert future escalations.
