Both sides withdrawing troops: Pak General

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan today said technology and joint operations were the key to success in Operation Sindoor even as Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, claimed the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels.

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Both Generals are in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue. A bilateral meeting between the two is not scheduled. They will be participating in separate sessions on Saturday afternoon.

General Mirza was quoted by a news agency, Reuters, describing how there was a reduction in troops by India and Pakistan. He said, "We have almost come back to the pre-April 22 situation.”

Warning that a future clash might not allow enough time for international mediation, he made it clear there was no move towards nuclear weapons during the May 7-10 conflict.

He said, "Nothing happened this time... But you can't rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different."

He said Pakistan was open to dialogue but beyond a crisis hotline between the Directors General of Military Operations, there was no other communication between the two countries.

Meanwhile, General Chauhan interacted with think tanks from various nations on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue. Speaking on ‘Future Wars and Warfare’, he highlighted various aspects of Operation Sindoor, including force application, network-centric operations, cyber and disinformation campaigns and intelligence capabilities.

He termed the use of indigenous weapons and conduct of joint operations as being vital for winning battles.

The CDS also met top military commanders of Japan and Australia, both of whom are partners of India and the US in the Quad.

General Chauhan met General Yoshida Yoshihide, chief of staff, joint staff of Japan.

In a post on X, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, an office under the CDS, said, “In the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, discussions focused on enhancing defence cooperation, regional security and strategic collaboration in the Indo-Pacific.”

The interaction reaffirmed the shared commitment of both nations to address emerging security challenges and foster closer bilateral defence ties, the post said.

General Chauhan also met Admiral David Johnston, chief of the defence force, Australia. “Both military leaders discussed security matters of bilateral and regional interest, particularly in maritime cooperation, as well as identifying avenues to enhance the existing India-Australia defence cooperation,” a post on X said.

The CDS also met Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of defence staff, United Kingdom; Air Marshal Tony Davies, chief of defence force, New Zealand; and Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, chief of staff of the French navy.