Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat warned that the rise of Hindu extremism in India was reshaping its strategic outlook and could have serious implications for regional and global peace, according to a media statement issued on Friday.
“The dominant strategic thought emanating from New Delhi today prioritizes Hindu Rashtra … as the very lens through which the world is viewed and engaged,” he said, cautioning that the shrinking space for rational, interest based thinking had increased the risk of miscalculation.
He was speaking at a national seminar organised by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) in Islamabad, which brought together academics, policymakers and security experts to examine evolving regional dynamics.
Gen Hayat said India had failed to cultivate a coherent strategic culture, with “sentimentalism and dogma” replacing structured thinking. He said this shift had influenced both domestic and external policies, with growing emphasis on hard power. “In this vacuum, dangerous influences have filled the void,” he said, referring to what he described as the adoption of a more security-driven approach, replacing earlier reliance on soft power.
The former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee drew parallels between India and Israel and referred to the adoption of Israeli styled security mindset and New Delhi shifting away from Gandhi’s soft power legacy towards a hard power model associated with Ariel Sharon.
He said the absence of coherent strategic thought had wider consequences, including increasing regional instability, weakening diplomatic space and raising the likelihood of conflict through miscalculation.
He also said it had contributed to tensions with neighbouring countries and a gradual militarisation of foreign policy. Ambassador Ali SarwarNaqvi, executive director of CISS, said the shifting ideological orientation in India required closer scrutiny as it was beginning to shape both domestic policy and regional conduct. He recalled that Indian strategic culture had evolved over centuries through imperial, colonial and post-independence phases, but undwent a marked shift with the rise of Hindu nationalist ideology.
Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja, executive director of CISS AJK, said Hindu nationalism had emerged as a key element shaping India’s strategic culture, influencing policy direction, military thinking and regional ambitions.
She said concepts such as Viksit Bharat 2047, Hindu Rashtra and Akhand Bharat reflected an ideological orientation that was increasingly visible in state behaviour. Maj Gen (Retd) ZahidMehmood said regional dynamics were undergoing change, with India moving away from its earlier secular model toward a framework driven by civilisational narratives and aspirations of greater influence. Dr Mujeeb Afzal of Quaid-i-Azam University said developments since 2014 indicated a shift toward ideological consolidation of Hindutva, with a stronger emphasis on projecting power through a combination of economic, military and identity based factors.
Participants said the evolving trajectory of India’s strategic thinking would have implications for regional stability and security, and emphasized that the world must not ignore its long-term impact.
