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Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, former Indian Ambassador Veena Sikri on Tuesday said that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has no real decision-making power, asserting that the reins of authority now lie firmly with Pakistan's military leadership, particularly its Army Chief and de facto power centre, General Asim Munir.
Speaking to ANI, Sikri commented on Shahbaz Sharif's recent statement during his visit to Tehran: "The Prime Minister of Pakistan sadly has no authority at all. The real authority and power are now in the hands of the new Field Marshal, Asim Munir." Her remarks come against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, in which Indian forces reportedly dismantled multiple terror camps across the border. Following this, the Pakistan Army, in a controversial move, reportedly announced plans to restore these camps and declared that compensation of Rs 1 crore would be given to the families of terrorists killed during the operation. She further said that the financial support is allegedly being routed through recent funding received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During a speech in Bhuj on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reinforced India's long-standing policy that "terrorism and talks cannot go together." Speaking directly to the people of Pakistan, he said, "Give up terrorism." His remarks follow a similar statement made in the wake of the recent Pahalgam incident, which saw a targeted terror attack on Indian forces. "Terror and trade cannot go hand in hand," PM Modi reiterated, making it clear that no negotiations with Pakistan are possible unless Pakistan decisively ends its support for cross-border terrorism. Sikri further said the Pakistan government appears to be "living in an imaginary world" and called upon Islamabad to wake up to the new regional realities. "The only discussion now should be about how Pakistan returns Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to India," he added. (ANI)
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