If the Pak army and the ISI choose the path of confrontation, they must remember that they have seen just a trailer of what India can do.
All Indians are proud of the surgical strikes at nine terrorist centres belonging to internationally known terrorist groups: Lashkar e Taiba, Jaish e Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahedeen in Punjab and the POK on 7 May. We must salute the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force for their flawless execution of Operation Sindoor, so evocatively named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—a tribute to the women’s husbands martyred in the brutal terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam on 22 April. We must, unreservedly, compliment the leadership of the Prime Minister Modi. The exemplary synergy, guidance and coordination of the Defence Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary should also be applauded. The BSF and the CRPF too deserve praise. And we shouldn’t forget to thank all the opposition parties either for unitedly supporting and standing behind the Government. I wish India could be so united without an external threat. If, somehow, we could, there won’t be an iota of doubt that we would be Viksit Bharat by 2047.
On 8 May, at his press briefing, flanked by Col Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh—unmistakable examples of India’s Nari Shakti and secularism—Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri Pandit, underlined, “our action was necessary to deter imminent attacks. It was proportionate, non-escalatory and conducted with maximum restraint.” Calling the Pahalgam attack as the most savage assault on civilians since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Misri pointed out, “The terrorists issued warnings to the survivors, clearly seeking to spread terror and halt the return of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.” Wing Commander Singh added, “Operation Sindoor was launched to deliver justice to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and their families.” “No Pakistani military facilities were targeted. The focus was solely on terror bases.”
Unlike the Balakot surgical strike of 2019, the defence forces promptly splashed the pictures of the strike at each terrorist base accompanied with information about the terrorist group it belonged to and details of its involvement in specific terrorist attacks in India over the years. This deprived Pakistan and Indian sceptics chance of questioning the surgical strikes and their impact and also sensitised the international community about the raison d’ etre of India’s strike.
Media reports claim around 100 persons, including 10 members of Masood Azhar’s family were killed. The plotter of IC184 hijacking and Pulwama attack, Abdul Rauf Asghar is also believed to have been killed. Persistent Pakistani shelling across the border has killed 15 civilians including a soldier and caused extensive damage to homes.
The western countries that chant the hymn of “restraint” shouldn’t be unhappy if they are genuinely serious in their fight against international terrorism.
Contradictory statements of Pakistani ministers expose their powerlessness. PM Shehbaz Sharif, expectedly, vowed to “avenge the blood of innocent martyrs”. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, whose recent interview with Yalda Hakim, on Sky TV (16 April) went viral, seemed to wave an olive branch when he stated that Pakistan was ready to “wrap up” tension with India if the latter was prepared to de-escalate. But, now, he sees “no option but war,” singing Gen Munir’s tune.
On 9 May, Foreign Secretary Misri explained: “the Pahalgam attack is the original escalation. Indian Armed Forces have answered through their actions. They (Pak) escalated, we responded. The choice (on de-escalation) is with Pakistan.” Rejecting Pakistan’s “farcical denials” on its attempts to target military installations in India, Misri asserted that India had responded “proportionately” and “adequately”. EAM Jaishankar has reiterated,” If there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that they will be met with a very firm response.”
Obviously, Pak Army Chief, Gen Munir, a veteran of the Kargil War, “who has reignited ideological hostility and re-embraced proxy warfare” and his newly minted NSA, Gen Asim Malik couldn’t afford to lose face. So, they launched attacks at 15 military bases of India across the over 3,020 km long IB from Kashmir to Gujarat on 7 May. Ready and alert, India neutralised all Pakistani missiles and drones; Russian made SA-400 (Sudarshan Chakra) Indian Akash and French Rafale have played a major role in India’s response.
Sending out a strong message, on 8 May, India destroyed Pakistan’s Chinese made air defence system HQ 9 at Lahore and also targeted military assets in Rawalpindi, Karachi, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur and Sindh. Two Pakistani JF-17 jets and one F-16 have been downed by India.
Pakistan mounted 300-400 drone attacks at Srinagar, Kupwara, Rajouri, Ferozepur, Attari, Naushera, Jaisalmer at night on 9 May; an unexploded Chinese missile, PL 15 was found in Amritsar. Pakistan reportedly used armed SONGAR drone of Türkiye.
Ajay Bisaria, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, feels that Munir favours a “Mulla-Military alliance, an Army supported by clerics” and offers “no roadmap, no vision for technological progress and no aspiration for regional integration” but “a dead end”.
Munir is acting recklessly, bordering on madness and pushing his country on a suicide mission. Instead of de-escalation, he seems to be itching for an escalation, totally unconcerned about the interests of his country, which is facing the worst ever economic crises. In an open conflict, Pakistan is doomed to lose, again with disastrous consequences.
In response to Pakistan’s increased drone attacks in civilian areas, India has attacked three key airbases on 10 May: Nur Khan (Rawalpind), Rafiqui (Shorkot, Punjab) and Murid (Chakwal). Earlier, strikes hit bases in Islamabad, Lahore and Sialkot conveying a stern warning against further escalation. India has shot down a Pakistani ballistic missile: Fatah-1 and destroyed the launch pad in Neelam valley in POK.
India is opposing IMF’s bailout loan and wants Pakistani to be put back in FATF’s grey list for its continued promotion of terrorism.
Here is an opportunity for Pakistan’s friends (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Türkiye, Iran, Indonesia and others) to nudge her on the path of peace and reconciliation, with India shunning maddening confrontation and detangling itself from the world of terrorism. They should advise her to swallow the bitter pill: forget about Kashmir. In 2000, President Clinton had said: national boundaries drawn in blood can’t be redrawn. It’s still true. Pakistan mustn’t cross two red lines: attempt to take away Kashmir and attempt to inflict 1,000 cuts on India. The ball is squarely in Pakistan’s court. Gen Munir can choose to fight or try to make peace as tried Gen Pervez Musharraf and now advised by former PM Nawaz Sharif.
By directly attacking the Shambu temple and Gurdwaras in Jammu, Munir has obliterated the distinction between the Army and terrorists; he is trying to project it as a religious war. OIC members should realise that it isn’t a religious issue; it is simply about terrorism.
China, which has been talking about the Indian elephant and Chinese dragon tangoing together should walk the talk. Calling for restraint isn’t enough.
At his press briefing on 10 May, Vikram Misri cautioned against misinformation by Pakistan about destroying the SA-400 system and bases in Surat, Sirsa, and Chandigarh and allegation about Indian attack on Afghanistan and attempts to provoke communal divide. He flagged Pakistani attacks on a medical centre, schools and civilian structures and reiterated that didn’t intend to escalate but Pakistan had to reciprocate.
India, as the world’s fourth largest economy, and increasingly driven by digitisation, AI and innovation, offers huge prospects for Pakistan’s economic transformation.
But if its army and the ISI choose the path of confrontation, they must remember that they have seen just a trailer of what India can do. Wise men always make wise choices. Only time will tell if General Munir is wise.
* Surendra Kumar is a retired ambassador of India.