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Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Escalate or back down? Experts weigh in on Islamabad's options
India-Pakistan tensions have risen sharply in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, carried out by Indian forces in the early hours of Wednesday. Pakistan has stated that it reserves the right to respond to Indian military operations at a time and place of its choosing. As South Asia's two nuclear powers square off, Hindustan Times spoke to retired military officers and diplomats to understand the options facing both India and Pakistan. A damaged structure in the Kotli district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. (AFP Photo) Scenario 1: Pakistan Steps Up Shelling Across Line of Control Over the last few weeks, the Indian armed forces have accused Pakistan of multiple violations of the ceasefire across the Line of Control which was agreed to in 2021. In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan intensified shelling across the Line of Control which has hit civilian areas in India and reportedly claimed the lives of several civilians. 'I think the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement is dead and you're going to see a lot more firing on both sides of the Line of Control,' says former Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. DS Hooda. But it may not stop at that. Scenario 2: Pakistan Responds With Air Strikes Former Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. BS Jaswal says that Pakistan could respond to Operation Sindoor with limited strikes on Indian military airfields. Such a strike would aim to cripple India's ability to respond to Pakistan's air operations or support its own ground troops. However, retired officers made it clear that New Delhi would see this as a major escalation as Operation Sindoor only targeted terror camps and no military facilities. Jaswal added that any Pakistani attacks would see an Indian response, including heavy shelling across the Line of Control by the Indian Army and possible retaliatory strikes on military targets by the Indian Air Force. Despite some nuclear sabre rattling by Pakistan in recent weeks, the unanimous view among retired Indian military officials was that Islamabad is not looking for either a limited nuclear war or a nuclear exchange with India. 'My own sense is that Pakistan's military retaliation will be limited,' says Lt. Gen. Hooda. Or the country could choose to resort to its old tricks. Scenario 3: Escalated Terror Attacks Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. AS Lamba believes that an escalated campaign of terrorism may well be Pakistan's chosen way to respond to India. 'Though Pakistan can, it must guard against escalating terror strikes on sensitive installations and other targets in India which will meet a tough response,' says Lt. Gen. Lamba. Direct military action against the Indian armed forces could lead to significant escalation which Pakistan may not want to see at this time. 'If Pakistan responds to India's strike on terror camps, with a strong military option, or even artillery and missile strikes on border towns and civilian populations, such escalation would draw a stern response from India, that Pakistan with its internal security and economic crisis will find it difficult to handle,' adds Lt. Gen. Lamba. All of these suggest that there are no diplomatic options. That may change. Scenario 4: Diplomatic Backchannel Established Former Indian Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin says that India and Pakistan have exhausted their diplomatic leverage against each other. Both sides have banned trade, closed their airspace, cancelled visas and expelled the other's citizens and diplomats. Pakistan's effort to follow its traditional policy of seeking multilateral diplomatic support for its position - including through the United Nations - has yielded little benefit. 'The only diplomatic option is a back channel. There cannot be a front channel as there is no space for that,' says Akbaruddin. 'If you see how many back channels have been established since Trump came in this year, there's been one between Russia and America and another between America and Iran. That is the only diplomatic option I can see at this time,' Akbaruddin said while noting that Pakistan was likely to take a more aggressive stand.
News18
07-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Powerful Message To Pakistan': Lt Gen DS Hooda Hails Op Sindoor, Says India Must Be Prepared
Last Updated: The former GOC-in-C of the army's Northern Command, however, pointed out that it is not in the interest of both countries to drag this as Pakistan's political situation is not good Operation Sindoor sends a 'powerful message" to Pakistan saying India will hit the heart of terrorist leadership, said Lieutenant General (retd) DS Hooda. Lt Gen Hooda, the former GOC-in-C of the Indian Army's Northern Command, hailed Operation Sindoor but cautioned that India needs to be prepared for any kind of retaliation from Pakistan. 'This is a very powerful message gone to Pakistan. We will hit you in the heart of terrorist leadership," he told CNN-News18. He said Pakistan can save face, but its options are limited. He, however, pointed out that it is not in the interest of both countries to drag this situation. 'Pakistan can save some face, but their options are limited. The Karachi Stock Exchange has fallen drastically…farmers are suffering because of the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. It is not in the interest of both countries to drag this as Pakistan's political situation is not the best," he added. Defence experts have called the missile strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces, as a 'precision strike" against terror infrastructure and said the action was very much on 'expected lines". Some experts also said the action by India would serve as a lesson to Pakistan and warn them that they 'should not go beyond this". terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke. Hours after the strike, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefed mediapersons here and said it was deemed essential that the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam attack be brought to justice as there was 'no demonstrable" step from Islamabad to take action against the terror infrastructure on its territory or on territory under its control. Misri said Indian military carried out a 'measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible" strike to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan to 'deter and to pre-empt" any further terrorist strikes. (With PTI inputs) First Published: May 07, 2025, 16:06 IST
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
'Suspension of water treaty a good step'
Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd), the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, was at the helm when the Indian Army conducted a surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC), targetting terrorist launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in retaliation for the deadly Uri attack in September 2016. Lt. Gen. Hooda, who had a distinguished four-decade-long career during which he played a crucial role in managing security challenges along India's borders with both Pakistan and China and one of the erudite military leaders, talks to Mayank Singh about issues arising out of the Pahalgam terror-strike. Excerpts: It has been more than 10 days since the terrorists killed 26 people in Pahalgam. What is your observation specific to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir? My sense is that things were getting better, particularly in Kashmir. For a couple of years, terrorist incidents shifted to the Jammu region. In Kashmir, I am not saying that incidents were not happening, but the overall violence was reducing, and it was leading to rising tourist footfall. It wasn't as if Pakistan had given up everything. Does it mean things in the Valley will witness a return to how things were earlier? Yes, the Pahalgam incident is big. But I don't see this completely changing everything in J&K. If people think that after this incident, terrorists will gain a foothold, there will be a breakdown in law and order, and terrorists will roam free carrying out more attacks, or the success in bringing down the violence and attacks in the last four to five years will be overturned, that is not going to happen. What will happen is that development work may slow down, and the Valley will see a decrease in tourists, hampering the local industry. The locals may face an economic decline. I repeat, the Pahalgam incident is horrific.
Hindustan Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kargil remains untouched as Pakistan continues firing along LoC
The 170-km mountain frontier in Ladakh's Kargil sector is the only stretch of the Line of Control (LoC) untouched by the Pakistan Army's spate of provocations in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, even as the neighbouring army on Friday opened machine-gun fire on scores of tightly-held Indian positions in several forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir that it has brazenly targeted for more than a week, officials aware of the matter said. The latest round of overnight ceasefire violations, a deliberate attempt to step up hostilities along the LoC in J&K, took place in sectors including Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Naushera and Akhnoor; the development coming at a critical time when tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours are at their highest since the 2019 Pulwama terror strike, the officials said. The Indian Army's counter-fire was measured but effective on the eighth straight day of ceasefire violations. The de-factor border in the Kargil sector is calm as the Pakistan Army cannot push in terrorist infiltrators because not only will it involve passing through some of the region's most inhospitable terrain but also there no reception areas to plan further movement into J&K, said one of the officials, who asked not to be named. 'Ceasefire violations are mostly aimed at supporting infiltration attempts. The neighbouring army's playbook doesn't work in the Kargil sector,' he said. Stray ceasefire violations were last recorded there more than a decade ago, said a second official. Terror launch pads and training camps are mostly located across the LoC in J&K. Ceasefire violations are triggered for two reasons, said Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd), a former Northern Army commander. 'The first when Pakistani posts fire to support infiltration of terrorists. The second reason is when casualties occur due to actions by terrorists or Pakistan Army regulars placing improvised explosive devices, carrying out ambushes or sniper action against Indian troops deployed at the LoC. This leads to retaliation against Pakistani posts. Such activities are more prevalent in sectors in J&K,' Hooda added. Last year, India celebrated the landmark 25th anniversary of victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil war. Twenty-six years ago, the army rewrote the rules of mountain warfare and beat astonishing odds to eject Pakistani soldiers from the dizzying heights occupied by them in the Kargil sector a few months after the signing of the Lahore peace declaration. The sector stretches across key areas including Mashkoh, Dras, Kaksar, Batalik and Turtuk. Alongside intensifying ceasefire violations, the Pakistan Army is also rushing reinforcements to bolster its posture along the LoC against the backdrop of New Delhi planning a military response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. At the heart of the Pakistani mobilisation are Chinese-origin SH-15 howitzers it began inducting three years ago and the eastward movement of some army elements from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to areas closer to the LoC, as reported by HT on Friday. On Thursday, the Pakistan Army fired at Indian posts in the Kupwara, Uri and Akhnoor sectors. Two active terror launch pads at Leepa and Jura across the LoC face Kupwara, one of the sectors repeatedly targeted after the Pahalgam attack. There are more than 40 such staging areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for terrorists attempting infiltration into J&K. The Pakistan military was warned against the unprovoked firings along the LoC on Tuesday when a brigadier from the Indian Army's directorate general of military operations spoke to his Pakistani counterpart over the hotline. The DGMO-level talks are scheduled every Tuesday. The Pakistan Army, which has repeatedly targeted Indian posts after the Pahalgam terror attack, on Wednesday opened fire across the international border (IB) for the first time since April 22 in a brazen attempt to escalate hostilities. Pakistani soldiers had then fired at Indian positions along the IB in the Pargwal sector near Jammu, and along the LoC in sectors including Akhnoor, Naushera, Sunderbani, Baramulla and Kupwara, seeking to open a wider front to engage the Indian Army. Pakistani troops violated the February 2021 ceasefire agreement around 15 times between January and early April 2025. But the repeated targeting of Indian posts along the LoC, and the IB on Wednesday, has sparked the most extensive cross-border exchange since the 2021 ceasefire.
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The manhunt for Pahalgam attackers
Good morning, It's been a tense and determined week since the Pahalgam attack. The Army, along with the Central Armed Police and J&K Police forces, has been relentlessly hunting the terrorists who gunned down 26 people in the Baisaran meadow on April 21. Per sources cited by The Indian Express, the security forces located the attackers at least four times in the past five days and even exchanged fire with them on one such occasion. A 'cat & mouse game': A military officer revealed that the terrorists have been using the thick forests of South Kashmir as cover, making the chase difficult. They are believed to be moving through the Kishtwar range, a rugged terrain connecting to Pahalgam's higher reaches and saw light snowfall this year. They could also try crossing the border from the Jammu side. However, the security forces are prepared to block the attempt and are hopeful that the terrorists will 'eventually make a mistake and be neutralised.' Caution: Security forces, meanwhile, have blown up at least nine homes belonging to families of those wanted for militancy in the Valley. However, political leaders have warned that the action could 'alienate' Kashmiris, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling for avoiding any 'misplaced action'. Expert Speaks: Lieutenant General DS Hooda (Retd) spearheaded the 2016 surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) as the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command. We invited him for the latest Idea Exchange session to offer insights on the Pahalgam attack. From Pakistan's 'deliberate escalation' to the need to expand the metrics of normalcy in J&K, here's all he had to say. On that note, here's what else we have for you today: Only in Express Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sat down for an interview with The Indian Express close on the heels of his April 11-12 visit to India. He spoke about the Pahalgam attack, #melodi, and bilateral relations. Read. From the Front Page Social impact: HDFC Bank spent the most on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the year ending March 2024. Overall, companies spent a whopping Rs 17,967 crore—16 per cent more than the previous year. AI reboot: The United Arab Emirates is leading the way to Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption, pumping billions into the sector. Its ambitious plans include allowing AI to rewrite its laws, which has raised several eyebrows. Must Read Balancing act? 'I actually feel, more than usual, very unwilling to advise India,' says Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, when asked about the nation's economic conundrum. Who should it side with in the US-China trade war? The path ahead may lie somewhere in the middle. Rainmaker: The four-month southwest monsoon season brings in 70% of India's annual rainfall. It's crucial for agriculture, water reservoirs, and the economy as a whole. Therefore, accurate monsoon forecasts become equally crucial for framing government action. Have we always got it right? We take a look at the history. And Finally… I leave you with an update from the Indian Premier League (IPL), where the Mumbai Indians have just registered their fifth win on the trot. After enduring a poor start to the season, MI seem to be peaking at the right time. Read my colleague Venkata Krishna B's report. PS—don't forget to tune into the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. Today's lineup: The importance of the Indus Water Treaty, the status of Pakistani nationals in India, and the significance of the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Business As Usual by EP Unny
