Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday dismissed the notion of a nuclear exchange during the recent conflict with India, saying his country's nuclear programme was meant for “peaceful purposes and self-defence”.
Sharif made the comments while addressing a group of Pakistani students in Islamabad.
Recalling the four-day military confrontation, Sharif said 55 Pakistanis were killed during the Indian military strikes. However, he claimed that Pakistan had responded with “full might” during the escalation.
When asked about the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Sharif said, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and national defence, not for aggression.”
India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
As part of Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces carried out strikes on May 7, targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur, a known stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit. The strikes were in retaliation for the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 civilians were killed.
Sharif denies rumours of Zardari stepping down
Sharif also dismissed rumours that Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari may be forced to step down and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir aspired to assume the presidency, Sharif said such claims were “mere speculations”.
{{/usCountry}}Sharif also dismissed rumours that Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari may be forced to step down and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir aspired to assume the presidency, Sharif said such claims were “mere speculations”.
{{/usCountry}}“Field Marshal Asim Munir has never expressed any desire to become the president, nor is there any such plan in the offing,” he told The News on Friday.
Sharif added that he, Zardari and Munir shared a relationship built on mutual respect.
The clarification followed interior minister Mohsin Naqvi’s statement on X on Thursday, in which he denounced the “malicious campaign” targeting Zardari, Sharif, and Munir.
“We are fully aware of who is behind the malicious campaign,” said Naqvi, who is considered close to the top military leadership.
“I have categorically stated there has been no discussion, nor does any such idea exist, about the president being asked to resign or the COAS aspiring to assume the presidency,” he added.
Naqvi also alleged the involvement of hostile foreign elements in fuelling the campaign and said, “To those involved in this narrative, do whatever you wish in collaboration with hostile foreign agencies. As for us, we will do whatever is necessary to make Pakistan strong again, InshAllah.”
Munir was appointed as army chief in 2022 for a three-year tenure, which was later extended to five years by the government.
With PTI inputs