From Pahalgam To Policy: CDS Anil Chauhan On Pakistan’s Terror-Driven War Tactics

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan delivers a powerful reflection on the nature of modern warfare and the role of terrorism in geopolitics. Drawing from the idea that war is a continuation of policy by other means, he questions whether terrorism can be considered a rational act of warfare. According to him, terrorism lacks defined political or military objectives, and thus defies rationality—unless it is used strategically by a state. He highlights how Pakistan, through its doctrine of "bleeding India by a thousand cuts", has institutionalised state-sponsored terrorism as a tool of policy. General Chauhan traces this strategy back to 1965, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto declared a thousand-year war against India at the United Nations. Referencing intelligence sources and documented Pakistani military doctrine, he outlines how this long-term approach continues to shape cross-border hostility. This address is a sobering reminder of how communication, policy, and terror intersect in today’s complex security landscape.