Daijiworld Media Network – Singapore

Singapore, Jun 2: Tensions between India and Pakistan took center stage at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore as chief of defence staff general Anil Chauhan and Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee general Sahir Shamshad Mirza delivered pointed remarks amid growing hostilities.

Speaking on Saturday, general Chauhan highlighted India’s Operation Sindoor, saying it set a “new red line of intolerance against terror” and urged Pakistan to learn from the military response. “We have been subjected to this proxy war of terror for almost two decades... we want to put an end to it,” he said, referring to India’s recent strikes targeting terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoK.

On the other hand, general Mirza stressed the urgent need for conflict resolution over mere crisis management, warning that without it, escalation risks are dangerously high. He called for an early resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, saying, “The core that resides between Pakistan and India is Kashmir.”

Mirza also accused India of ambitions to become a regional hegemon, which he claimed discourages engagement in conflict management. He warned that “the threshold of conventional warfare has significantly degraded,” heightening risks for both nations.

The four-day military clash following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam ended on May 10, after which India ceased offensive actions under Operation Sindoor. Mirza cited international players including the US, UK, Turkey, China, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as interlocutors in the conflict.

The heated exchanges at the world’s premier defense forum underscore the fragile peace in South Asia and the urgent need for dialogue amid continuing tensions.