India-Pakistan War: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has firmly rejected the idea of a potential nuclear exchange with India, stressing that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons exist solely for peaceful purposes and national defence. His comments come in the wake of heightened tensions between the two countries following India’s retaliatory military action in early May, Operation Sindoor.
Addressing a group of Pakistani students in Islamabad on Saturday, Sharif said, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and national defence, not for aggression.” His remarks appear aimed at countering growing speculation, particularly on social media, about the possibility of nuclear escalation during the recent cross-border confrontation.
What PM Sharif said on Operation Sindoor?
Sharif confirmed that 55 Pakistani nationals were killed during the four-day military confrontation sparked by India’s Operation Sindoor. The operation was launched in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian civilians. As part of the operation, the Indian armed forces conducted precision strikes on 7 May, targeting nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur, a known stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist group.
Sharif claimed that Pakistan had “responded with full might” during the escalation but reiterated that its nuclear arsenal was never considered as a retaliatory tool. “There was no question of nuclear use,” he emphasised, reiterating that Pakistan seeks regional stability, not destruction.
Will Asim Munir replace Asif Ali Zardari as Pak President?
Sharif also addressed swirling rumours concerning internal political tensions in Pakistan, particularly claims that President Asif Ali Zardari might be pressured to resign and that Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir harboured ambitions to assume the presidency.
“These are mere speculations,” Sharif told The News on Friday. “Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing.” He added that he shared a “relationship of mutual respect” with both Zardari and Munir.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also weighed in on the controversy, denouncing what he called a “malicious campaign” against Zardari, Sharif, and Munir. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Naqvi claimed, “We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign,” hinting at foreign involvement.
“To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies,” he said. “As for us, we will do whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah.”
Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was appointed army chief in 2022, has had his three-year term extended to five years. Government sources continue to maintain that no political reshuffle involving the military leadership is being planned.