Abhinand New Delhi: Abdul Basit, Pakistan’s former High Commissioner to India, has sparked major controversy by suggesting that if the Unite...
Abhinand
New Delhi: Abdul Basit, Pakistan’s former High Commissioner to India, has sparked major controversy by suggesting that if the United States or any other foreign power attacks Pakistan, Islamabad should retaliate by bombing Mumbai or New Delhi without a second thought.
Basit argued that much like Iran’s strategy of firing missiles across the Gulf, Pakistan should target India if it is attacked by a foreign nation. These provocative remarks come at a time when Pakistan is dealing with heightened tensions along its border with Afghanistan. While there has been no official response from the Indian government yet, the comments have triggered widespread outrage across social media platforms.
A Hypothetical yet Dangerous Scenario
Framing his argument around a hypothetical war scenario, Basit described the situation as an "extreme case" and acknowledged it might be unlikely. However, he remained firm in his stance that targeting major Indian cities would be Pakistan's only viable option.
"If anyone looks at us with an evil eye, Pakistan will have no choice but to attack anywhere in India," Basit stated.
Observers are viewing these statements with grave concern, given that Basit served as Pakistan's top diplomat in India from 2014 to 2017. He argued that if the U.S. were to strike Pakistan and Islamabad found itself unable to retaliate directly against American soil or interests due to range constraints, India would naturally become the surrogate target.
The Rationale and Regional Implications
"If America attacks Pakistan and we are unable to strike back at their bases in the Gulf or at Israel, what is the only option left for us? It is India," Basit said. "We would have no other way. Even if our strike range does not reach elsewhere, if someone acts with hostility toward us, we will attack India—Mumbai and New Delhi—without hesitation. We will not back down."
Basit compared his suggested strategy to Iran targeting Gulf nations when unable to strike the U.S. directly. However, analysts point out a significant flaw in this logic: unlike the Gulf countries that house U.S. military bases, India does not host any American military facilities. Consequently, Basit’s suggestion is being criticized as both dangerous and strategically unfounded.
Context of Global Security
These comments follow recent testimony by U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who identified Pakistan as one of the most significant nuclear threats to the U.S., alongside Russia, China, and North Korea. Speaking before a Senate panel, Gabbard also expressed concern regarding the advancing missile capabilities of nations like Iran—concerns that now seem echoed in Basit’s provocative rhetoric.
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