- Proxy war remains a modern warfare tool: Khawaja Asif.
- He says the May conflict raised immediate war concerns.
- Asif says US intervention prevented further escalation.
ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the risk of another war with India continues, 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 during a talk show on a private TV channel.
He explained that the proxy war started in the 1980s and has become a tool of modern warfare. Lahore and Rawalpindi have recently seen explosions linked to these tensions, he said.
Asif added that the immediate threat of war was high after the May conflict, stating, “After the May engagement, the possibility of another war existed and that risk has not gone away.”
Highlighting Pakistan’s defensive successes, he said the United States confirmed Pakistan’s victory and intervened to prevent further escalation.
In May, the Pakistan Air Force shot down seven Indian aircraft, including Rafales, and destroyed an S-400 defense system.
He concluded by affirming that despite these measures, the danger of conflict with India remains a serious concern for Pakistan’s security establishment.
The four-day war between the two nuclear-armed nations was triggered by India’s illegal missile strikes inside Pakistan, which resulted in the martyrdom of several civilians and security personnel.
In addition to shooting down several Indian fighter jets, Pakistan launched a retaliatory strike, targeting over 20 Indian military sites across multiple regions.
Hostilities ended on 10 May after the two countries agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Months after the conflict, a report presented to the US Congress acknowledged Pakistan’s military success over India.
The report, which was submitted by the US-China Economic and Security Assessment Commission, noted that Pakistan deployed advanced Chinese weapons during the conflict to strengthen its military edge over India.
The report cited the successful use of China’s modern weapons systems in active combat for the first time, including the HQ-9 air defense system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighter jets.
