Ex-Pak Envoy Suggests Retaliating Against India in US Attack Scenario

Former Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit suggested in a recent discussion that Pakistan would target major Indian cities, including Mumbai and New Delhi, in retaliation if the United States launched an attack on Pakistan's nuclear facilities. The remarks, framed as a hypothetical worst-case scenario, have ignited widespread debate amid escalating regional and global tensions.

Basit, who served as Pakistan's top diplomat in New Delhi from 2014 to 2017, made the comments during a broadcast focused on potential conflict dynamics. He outlined a strategic response in which Pakistan would hold India responsible for any American military action on its territory. "If America attacks Pakistan, we have to attack India—Mumbai, New Delhi—without a second thought," Basit stated. He emphasized that the situation was unlikely, describing it as "out of the impossibility," and added, "We don't want that to happen. India doesn't want that either." Basit argued that targeting India would serve as a deterrent when direct strikes against the U.S. might not be feasible due to range limitations.

The former envoy reiterated the point, saying, "If someone sees us with a bad eye, Pakistan...