Adaptive deterrence urged to counter India’s hostile posture

Therefore, they emphasised the need to keep deterrence credible and effective. That message came through at a book launch hosted by the Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS) in Islamabad. Experts highlighted that regional stability is strained by tech shifts, disinformation, unresolved disputes, and India’s push to normalise limited warfare under nuclear conditions. Within that broader framing, advisers to the National Command Authority and Strategic Plans Division echoed a clear post-May 2025 conflict lesson, noting that Pakistan must keep deterrence credible and adaptive. The strongest note of caution came from retired Lt Gen. Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, an adviser to the National Command Authority and a key figure in Pakistan’s nuclear establishment. He said recent developments had exposed “both the strengths and vulnerabilities of deterrence stability,” stressing the importance of “responsible nuclear stewardship and strategic restraint”. Remarks by other experts suggested that nuclear strategists see deterrence less as a static equilibrium and more as a system requiring constant management. Retired Gen Zubair Hayat, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, warned that fut­ure conflicts would increasingly inv­olve “hybrid warfare, cyber capa­b­ilities and narrative warfare” alongside conventional military means. Lt Gen Mazhar Jamil highlighted “India’s evolving offensive thinking” as key to the shifting strategic context, urging Pakistan to keep a cohesive deterrence posture and avoid unnecessary escalation. His remarks suggested that Pakistani strategic planners expect fu