--- title: " Pakistan threat remains significant, says ex CDS Gen Anil Chauhan" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/india-pakistan-security-deterrence-chauhan-7musi publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-09-05T23:30:45.421Z modified: 2026-09-06T02:30:04.811Z language: en-IN --- # Pakistan threat remains significant, says ex CDS Gen Anil Chauhan Former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan warned that Pakistan will stay a major security concern, citing defence pacts and potential miscalculations. He also discussed cross-border terrorism, deterrence, and the need to manage India’s regional security environment. ## Key takeaways - Gen Anil Chauhan warned Pakistan will remain a major security concern for the foreseeable future. - He cautioned that defence pacts with other countries may foster overconfidence and miscalculations in Pakistan. - The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement ties Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye in a framework of mutual defense. - Chauhan emphasized deterrence across conventional and sub-conventional domains to counter proxy warfare and terrorism. - India’s security outlook involves cross-border operations history, nuclear stability dynamics, and ongoing India-China boundary diplomacy. ## What Happened During the GB Pant memorial lecture, former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) stated that Pakistan will continue to be a major security concern for the foreseeable future. He warned that Pakistan’s defence pacts with other countries could foster overconfidence and lead to miscalculations. Chauhan discussed the broader external threat environment facing India, including unresolved borders, cross-border terrorism, non-state actors, and competition in space, cyber, and the maritime domain. He highlighted that Pakistan aims to reduce space for conventional operations and expand space for sub-conventional activities such as terrorism and proxy actions, supported by non-state actors and a broader enabling ecosystem. Chauhan referenced the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, describing it as a framework under which an attack on one would be treated as an attack on all. He noted that India’s external threat environment involves multiple interacting factors and cannot be viewed solely through boundary disputes with China. The former CDS cited India’s cross-border operations—Uri, Balakot, and Operation Sindoor—as demonstrations of credible deterrence, asserting that deterrence must operate across the spectrum to raise the costs of proxy warfare for Pakistan. He also connected recent discussions of Corps Commander-level talks in the Northeast and new hotlines with broader strategic diplomacy, while acknowledging ongoing boundary negotiations involving India and China. ## Why It Matters The remarks frame Pakistan as a continuing security risk that could influence India’s defence and diplomatic posture for the coming period. By linking defence pacts, proxy warfare, and regional diplomacy to deterrence, Chauhan underscores the need for a multi-domain approach to India’s security strategy, including land borders, cross-border terrorism, space and cyber domains, and regional alignments such as SCO and BRICS. His emphasis on credible deterrence suggests cost-imposing responses to proxy aggression, which could shape future military planning and regional diplomacy. ## Background The discussion occurs in the context of ongoing security concerns with Pakistan, including past cross-border operations that India has described as counter-terrorism actions. Chauhan also referenced the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye and noted recent high-level diplomatic interactions around China-India boundary talks, as well as regional cooperation through groups like SCO and BRICS. ## Key Facts - The former Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan (retired) spoke at the GB Pant memorial lecture in New Delhi. - He asserted Pakistan will remain a major security concern for the foreseeable future. - He warned that Pakistan’s defence pacts with other countries could cause overconfidence and miscalculation. - Chauhan cited the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye as creating a framework for collective defense if one is attacked. - He described Pakistan’s strategy as reducing space for conventional operations while expanding sub-conventional activities such as terrorism and proxy actions. - Non-state actors and the broader enabling ecosystem (ideology, recruitment, finances, training, propaganda, state support) are viewed as part of this approach. - Chauhan referenced India’s cross-border operations (Uri, Balakot, Operation Sindoor) as demonstrations of deterrence. - He noted ongoing boundary talks between India and China and discussions of additional hotlines and Northeast Corps Commander-level talks as part of diplomacy alongside security measures. ## What Happens Next Chauhan suggested that India should maintain credible deterrence to raise the cost of proxy warfare and terrorism by Pakistan. He indicated that cooperation and dialogue at various levels—military, diplomatic, and regional—will continue to shape India’s security environment, including interactions within SCO and BRICS frameworks and any future boundary-related engagements with China. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/india-pakistan-security-deterrence-chauhan-7musi Reported from: Multiple Sources