Abhinandan Returns: Ex Army Cdr Explains Next Steps For India

Abhinandan’s Return: Ex Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh explains the escalation ladder & the way forward for India.

Lt General AK Singh speaks to The Quint

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Producer: Sonal Gupta
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

“India can bear the cost of a war or proxy war but very doubtful of Pakistan,” said Former Army Commander Lieutenant General AK Singh, who has also served as the governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry.

In an interview with The Quint Lt General AK Singh expressed how Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has “really behaved like a good soldier and has made all of us proud by the manner of his conduct in custody.”

He goes on to explain how India’s strike at Balakot was a calculated signal to Pakistan.

“India’s strike at Balakot was a calculated and measured signal to Pakistan. It was not an escalation on the war matrix but an escalation on the signalling matrix to Pakistan. It was to say that we have the political will, we have the resolve and we have the capabilities with our armed forces to come and inflict punishment should you not stop this proxy war against us. There is a limit to our patience. We proved by going rather deep inside Pakistan not just PoK.”

Lieutenant General AK Singh, Former Army Commander

‘War & Conflict is Serious Business’

Elaborating further on the recent IAF strike he said that a token response to Pakistan became imperative and that the Pakistan Armed Forces were hurt where it hurts the most.

“War and conflict is serious business. It has its gains and its losses. It has its ups and downs. It is a long haul. A superior power like India can certainly try and control the narrative upto a point but it is not possible to cover or control every aspect of the conflict or escalation,” adds Lt General AK Singh.

Options for India Going Forward

Escalate, de-escalate or to allow the situation to drift along are the three options for India in the opinion of Lt General AK Singh.

He explains that as far as escalation goes India is already at a higher threshold because air power has been used. If India was to decide to go for further escalation it could have spun out of control.

He adds that problem with de-escalation is that India has tried that many times. There has to be more concrete action that Pakistan will have to take.

‘Pakistan Will Hurt Much More Than India Through Conflict’

Lt General AK Singh throws light on the fact that Pakistan has been encouraged by what they have been able to get away with.

He says:

“Pakistan has to be tackled on multiple platforms and over a sustained period comprehensively through diplomatic means and economic squeeze. War cost can be measured in terms of economic cost and human cost. India can certainly bear the cost of war however undesirable it may be to go to war. Pakistan may be able to bear the human cost but not the economic cost as we know the state of Pakistan’s foreign reserved and its economy.”