The Indo-Pak 'Understanding' Is An Undeclared Indian Win
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Pakistan now understands that any future reliance on terrorism will invite a full-spectrum declaration of war from India.
While it will be debated whether India should have escalated Operation Sindoor into full-scale hostilities — or perhaps even all-out war — it is important to understand why the current 'understanding" is an undeclared Indian victory, not a peace deal imposed by external pressure, as some are attempting to portray.
1. Modi has redefined the limits of tolerance with Pakistan.
India has signaled that Pakistan's nuclear blackmail will no longer deter it from taking decisive action — even on Pakistani soil — against the so-called 'impregnable wall" of the Pakistan military. India has struck deep into Rawalpindi, the very cradle of Pakistan's military machine. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir has been metaphorically reduced to his base ideological identity — that of a frothing 'Mullah." This symbolic diminution carries long-term consequences for the army's perceived supremacy within the Pakistani state. In recent days, Pakistan's civil society has witnessed the visible humiliation of the military's claim to be the ultimate 'defender of the Pakistani state." For the first time, it is now conceivable that the Pakistani military may be relegated to the barracks.
2. The kinetic response to Operation Sindoor has been halted — on a condition.
Pakistan now understands that any future reliance on terrorism will invite a full-spectrum declaration of war from India. This reflects Prime Minister Modi's preparedness to escalate without warning in response to any credible, Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack. Formulaic denials, hollow declarations of innocence, and vague claims of operational ambiguity from the Pakistan military are no longer accepted as justifications or shields. This marks a decisive break from the old status quo and will weigh heavily on the minds of Pakistani military planners. They must now abandon the strategy of low-cost, low-intensity 'jihad by chicanery" against India — or risk pushing the region, and perhaps humanity, toward catastrophe.
This doctrine aligns with strategic principles adopted by nations like Israel, the United States, and Russia. While this is not the beginning of a general 'era of war," Modi has made it clear that India will not hesitate to pursue a 'just war" when its territorial integrity is threatened.
4. India may reconsider its 'No First Use" nuclear posture.
It is increasingly possible that India may revise its NFU policy in the near term to underscore its willingness to respond with overwhelming force if provoked. Even if not currently under formal review, this is a strategic imperative India must weigh seriously to restore credible deterrence.
5. Operation Sindoor is not over – it has transformed.
It continues under a new guise: as a long-term diplomatic, trade, economic, and water offensive aimed at systematically raising the costs for Pakistan's continued provocations. These non-kinetic actions rest on internationally recognised legal and moral grounds, giving Pakistan little room to maneuver. It is an undeclared siege – unseen but deeply felt.
6. India's anti-terror campaign is entering an unconventional phase.
New strategies are being employed to challenge Pakistan's territorial and ideological coherence. While it would be imprudent to list these methods publicly, it is sufficient to say that the Pakistani state is now facing the real prospect of an existential crisis – unless it changes course swiftly and decisively.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
First Published:
May 11, 2025, 12:25 IST
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