Former Pakistani General warns of rising Pak-India conflict risks

Retired General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, former Chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, has warned that failing to address the root causes of disputes between Pakistan and India could lead to more dangerous future confrontations. Speaking at the second Islamabad Non-Proliferation Conference organized by the Strategic Vision Institute, Hayat emphasized that merely terminating a crisis without resolving underlying issues only sets the stage for more severe conflicts.

He identified the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty as critical components for regional stability. Hayat cautioned that the region lacks an inclusive security framework and effective crisis-management mechanisms. He noted that future crises may be exacerbated by emerging technologies, different political leaderships, and shorter decision-making timelines, which increase the risk of miscalculation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.