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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bipin Rawat was good for us: Pakistan’s Former Defence Minister

Former Defence Minister of Pakistan Lt. Gen (R) Naeem Khalid Lodhi, while talking to a private media channel, said that it was better for Pakistan while Bipin Rawat was CDS. Interestingly, he did not make the statements due to Bipin Rawat's military leadership.

As India grieves over the recent death of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat in a deadly helicopter crash, former Defence Minister of Pakistan Lt. Gen (R) Naeem Khalid Lodhi claimed that it was better for Pakistan while Bipin Rawat was CDS.

Interestingly, he did not make the statements due to Bipin Rawat’s military leadership. On the contrary, Gen Naeem said that according to him, Bipin Rawat was “incompetent.”

“He was not a professional general. He was incompetent, in my opinion,” Gen Naeem said.

Clarifying his statements, Gen Naeem said he had no knowledge of modern warfare. Moreover, Gen Naeem also recalled Bipin Rawat’s view of nuclear war, calling it a “flaw of thought.”

Read more: Indian Army helicopter carrying Chief of Defense Staff crashes

To clarify, Bipin Rawat made provocative statements saying that two nuclear countries can go to war. He also outrightly challenged Pakistan. He received mass criticism for this as such statements were unbecoming of a top military leader.

“Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence… yes, they are! But to say that they can deter war, they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true,” Bipin Rawat had said.

Read more: What led to the great divide of India and Pakistan?

Important to note, nuclear weapons have proven to be weapons of deterrence and have proven to avert war. For example, fear of nuclear retaliation and mass destruction prevented an all-out war between the US and USSR.

Similarly, the Kargil episode did not escalate to a full-blown war because both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers.

“I think such a senior general should have understood this,” Gen Naeem said.

False reports of surgical strikes?

Moreover, Gen Nameem revealed that Bipin Rawat’s junior officers did not follow his orders and would usually give him false reports.

“Bipin Rawat would often order a surgical strike on Pakistan. However, the junior officers would claim, without crossing the borders, that India conducted a surgical strike on Pakistan. He would then tell the media the news,” Gen Naeem said about Bipin Rawat.

Furthermore, Gen Naeem also noted that Bipin Rawat was very vocal. As a result, his intentions would become clear to Pakistan.

“In my opinion, Pakistan faced a great loss,” Gen Naeem said on Bipin Rawat’s death.

Read more: Abhinandan shot no F-16: Pakistan rejects Indian claims