- Proxy warfare remains a tool of modern warfare: Khawaja Asif.
- He says the May conflict sparked immediate war concerns.
- Asif says the US intervention prevented further escalation.
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the risk of another war with India persists, stressing that proxy conflicts remain a persistent threat decades after they began.
“The proxy war has never really ended; it has intensified in recent years,” Defense Minister Asif said in a debate on a private television channel.
He explained that proxy warfare began in the 1980s and has become a tool of modern warfare. Lahore and Rawalpindi have recently experienced explosions linked to these tensions, he said.
Asif added that the immediate threat of war was high after the May conflict, saying: “After the May engagements, the possibility of another war existed and this risk has not gone away. »
Highlighting Pakistan’s defensive successes, he said the United States certified Pakistan’s victory and intervened to prevent further escalation.
In May, the Pakistani Air Force shot down seven Indian planes, including Rafale, and destroyed an S-400 defense system.
He concluded by reiterating that despite these measures, the risk of conflict with India remains a major concern for Pakistan’s security services.
The four-day war between the two nuclear-armed countries was triggered by India’s illegal missile strikes inside Pakistan, which resulted in the martyrdom of several civilians and security personnel.
Pakistan, in addition to downing several Indian warplanes, then launched a retaliatory strike, targeting more than 20 Indian military sites in several regions.
Hostilities ended on May 10 after the two countries agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
A few months after the conflict, a report submitted to the American Congress recognized Pakistan’s military success against India.
The report, submitted by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, notes that Pakistan deployed advanced Chinese weapons during the conflict to strengthen its military advantage over India.
The report mentions for the first time the successful use of China’s modern weapons systems in active combat, including the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles and the J-10C fighter jet.
