During an interview with Nasim Zehra on Saturday, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir quoted Pakistan’s former Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, saying in 2021 that Pakistan does not have the military and financial capability to fight India.
Overview
In an interview with UK-based Pakistani media house UK44, Mir recounted General Bajwa’s statements and said that Pakistan “cannot go to war with India” as the “Pakistani Army is no match for the Indian Army.” He further quoted Bajwa as telling the Foreign Office that Islamabad’s tanks were not in working condition and there was insufficient diesel for military vehicles.
Mir highlighted that Bajwa informed him about his secret talks with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval regarding a ceasefire along the Line of Control with India and Indian PM Narendra Modi’s subsequent planned visit to Pakistan.
He added that on being informed about these rumours, the Foreign Office approached erstwhile PM Imran Khan, who said that while he knew about the ceasefire discussions, he was unaware of Modi’s visit.
Hamid Mir's interviewhttps://t.co/xx1VnV5yFB
— Ahmed Ali Fayyaz (@ahmedalifayyaz) April 24, 2023
The Pakistani journalist claimed that Modi’s visit to Pakistan was a major source of tensions between Imran Khan and Bajwa.
According to Mir, Bajwa was ready to mend relations with India and work on a solution for Kashmir, given that an “all-out war” was not preferable.
Previous Allegations
In January, Hamid Mir co-authored a column in an Urdu daily Jang on Imran Khan’s souring relationship with Bajwa and the military establishment.
"Pak army chief surrendered to India on Kashmir. Gen Bajwa refused to fight India coz he believed Pak army was incapable to fight Indian Army"
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) April 24, 2023
- Pak journalist Hamid Mirpic.twitter.com/RTRlkQLnIl
The article claimed Modi was scheduled to visit the Hinglaj temple in Pakistan in April 2021. The visit resulted from backchannel discussions that resulted in the ceasefire in February 2021. The claims are substantiated by a statement by the Emirati ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, who said that the UAE had played a critical role in facilitating discussions between India and Pakistan.
Mir criticised Bajwa and Khan’s inconsistent positions on Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Khan “allowed” Bajwa to continue talks with India “to keep him away from affairs of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
The narrative sought to discredit Modi’s repeated insistence that India will not engage with Pakistan unless it ends its role in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. It also negates Pakistan’s repeated stand that India must reverse its decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as a prerequisite for talks on diffusing tensions.