Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday strongly criticised former Pakistani diplomat Abdul Basit over his recent remarks, saying they reflect that Pakistan “cannot survive without terrorism”.

Basit, in an interview to a Pakistani news channel, had claimed that in a hypothetical scenario where the United States attempted to dismantle Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, Islamabad would have no option but to target Indian cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai.

Reacting to the statement, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said the remarks showed Pakistan was “rattled” and had “lost its mental balance”.

“It is a terrorist state and now we don’t even have to say it. These kinds of statements show that terrorism is ingrained in their nature,” he said.

Sinha also referred to past remarks by Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, alleging that threats had earlier been made against key Indian infrastructure.

Basit’s comments came in response to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who in her 2026 Annual Threat Assessment had flagged Pakistan’s long-range missile programme as a potential risk capable of reaching the United States.

In his remarks, Basit criticised what he described as an “anti-Pakistan worldview” and said the country’s missile capabilities were primarily aimed at India. He also questioned the long-term strategic relationship between Pakistan and the United States, suggesting that Washington shares stronger ties with India.

He further outlined a hypothetical scenario in which Pakistan could consider targeting Indian cities if its nuclear programme were threatened or if tensions escalated with other countries.