Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2024 in response to a question about Pakistan’s defnce in light of the problems facing its economy, General Chauhan said ‘full marks’ should be given to the adversary.

“Pakistan may be in economic kind of turmoil and may be politically also slightly unstable, now they have a proper government. But militarily there has been no denting in its capabilities actually,” he said.

He went on to say that with its capabilities intact, Pakistan remains a threat to India.

“They retained their capabilities…, so, Pakistan remains a threat, you can’t say that Pakistan armed forces will not remain a threat. Yes, there may be a challenge for them to fight a long war because of the current economic problems which they have. But they remain a threat for us,” General Chauhan added.

The Indian general also added that India had two hostile neighbors who claim to have a friendship higher than Himalayas, in referring to China and Pakistan.

He also added that both of India’s enemies are nuclear capable.

However, he called China a more immediate challenge compared to Pakistan.

“As far as the armed forces are concerned, our immediate challenge is the rise of China and the unsettled boundary problem,” General Chauhan said.

The Indian commander said that facing both China and Pakistan, the real challenge for his army is to be in the right place at the right time.

““This particular path of how to predict and what paths to take right now so that we are at the right place at the right time that I think is the biggest challenge for us,” he said.