A fresh controversy has erupted following remarks by former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit, who suggested that Islamabad could target Indian cities in a hypothetical conflict scenario involving the United States.
Speaking in an interview with a local television channel, Basit said that if the US were to attack Pakistan, Islamabad would retaliate by striking cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi “without a second thought”. He acknowledged that Pakistan’s missiles may not reach the United States but maintained that India would become the immediate target in such a situation.
‘Pakistan would not want such a situation’
Basit repeatedly described the scenario as unlikely and even “out of the impossibility”, but reiterated his position during the discussion. He added that Pakistan would not want such a situation to arise and stressed that his remarks were made in a hypothetical context. The programme’s anchor responded by noting that India would also not want such an escalation.
The comments come at a time of heightened regional tensions, months after India carried out Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.
Basit’s time in India
Basit served as Pakistan’s envoy to India from 2014 to 2017, a period marked by strained diplomatic ties and periodic escalations. His previous role has drawn added attention to the remarks, given his direct involvement in bilateral engagement during that time.
The controversy also comes amid broader regional tensions involving Pakistan. Afghan authorities have accused Pakistani forces of conducting airstrikes in areas including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that civilian sites, including a rehabilitation facility, were among the locations hit.