The country’s eyes have been transfixed on our north west borders for the last one month or so. Over the past year, there were at least 24 terrorist-initiated attacks, leading to the deaths of 24 security personnel and more than 30 civilians. There is a recent spike in the activities of terrorists operating on Indian soil. It highlighted that they are sponsored by Pakistan aiding them in training and providing financial and technical support. ‘Pakistan state apparatus has been aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism’ the Indian Government accused. The government also stated that Pakistan for long through its “coordinated ceasefire violations” had been helping terrorists cross the Line of Control (LoC) and lends them assistance through drones too
In this background on April 22, terrorists had attacked ordinary tourists in Baisaran meadows of South Kashmir’s Pahalgam area and killed 26 civilians unlike the terror attacks on paramilitary forces and soldiers in Pulwama (2019), Uri (2016). The multiple Mumbai terrorist attacks(2008),were also aimed at civilian groups in railway stations, hospitals and cafes. India has accused Pakistan of aiding the April 22 attack in Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement in the attack and asked to produce a proof. Describing it as a heinous act of wiping out the sindoor of Indian Hindu women, the Indian government launched military operations on May 7th in retaliation and to ‘show how severe the punishment would be’. The operation was named passionately as operation Sindoor to rake the Hindu National, sentiments through Government’s response.
The two sides took several retaliatory steps after the terrorist attack in Pahal gam and the launch of Operation Sindoor. India implemented a series of non-military punitive measures aimed at intimidating Pakistan. Many of them were economically impactful.
The visas issued to Pakistani nationals were revoked and they were ordered to leave the country within hours. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scrapped a crucial water-sharing agreement that allows the two countries to procure water from the Indus basin since the 1960s. Pakistan declared that the suspension of water would be treated as an act of war as the step would throw their country in to severe drought. India has closed the Attari-Wagah trade corridor at the border. Bilateral trade worth Rs 3,886 crore was carried out in 2023-24 across this section and now has come to a standstill. This has impacted various sectors including agriculture and manufacturing.
India has closed air way to 25 Pakistani flights. This has forced it to operate flights via longer routes. The average operating costs of Rs 10,000 crore per month rose by Rs 80-100 crore and also reduced regional connectivity. In return, Pakistan also closed its air space routes for Indian flights. Fuel consumption increased as alternative routes are distant. The travel time has increased, additional staff was needed. A financial burden of Rs 307 crore was incurred by Indian airlines. Pakistan suspended the 1972 Simla agreement, which served as a peace treaty so far between the two countries, thus the situation changed to worse rapidly.
India launched Operation Sindoor targeting suspected terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Attacks with drones and missiles escalated on both sides. Several civilians were reportedly killed on both sides. India proudly announced that it had killed 100 terrorists, including five of the most wanted terrorists. Indian Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai announced that nine terrorist bases and an arms manufacturing facility had been destroyed.
In the first phase, nine terror bases including Muridke, Muzaffarabad and Bahawalpur, said to be lodging lashkar-e-taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were targeted. The operation, which was intended to eliminate the infra structure that supports cross-border terrorism, has significantly increased Indo-Pak tension. Pakistan retaliated with attacks at LOC on Indian military camps. The Indian Air Force launched attacks on a wide range of military bases located interiorly in Pakistan. Noor Khan, Rafiqi, Murid, Sukkur, Sialkot, Pasrur, Chuniyan, Sargodha, Skardu, Bholari and Jacobabad were the targeted military and air bases. Several terror bunkers were alleged to be fired upon by Indian forces along the Line of Control. Indian Army comman ders said “Pakistan Army had lost about 50 personnel and some fighter jets had been destroyed. 20% of the infra structure of the Pakistan Air Force was destroyed”. The damage to houses, weapons depots, training equipment and vehicles was estimated to be around Rs 150 to 200 crore.
In retaliation, Pakistan has launched several missiles and deployed air defence systems and drones in the war zones. The cost of daily operation and ammunition is around Rs 60-80 crore. The renovation and compensation costs of damaged nearby housing clusters in Indian airstrikes as confirmed by satellite imagery will be Rs100-120 crore. The closure of the Attari-Wagah trade corridor incurred a loss of about Rs 1,100-1,400 crore.
India has deployed Rafale jets with SCALP missiles and HAMMER bombs. Each missile costs Rs.30-35 crore and Rs.3-5 crore for hammer bombs. It is estimated to cost Rs.500-700 cr for ammunition, fuel and logistics. Military mobilization alone costs Rs.14,700 cr. The used ammunition, damage to weaponry and the aircraft was to the tune of Rs.600-1,000 cr. The loss for infrastructure is estimated to be Rs.150-200cr. India has deployed S-400 ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ air defence system. Each S-400 complex values around Rs.10,000 crores. Each Rafale fighter jet costs about 25 crore dollars [Rs 2139 crores]. War is such a costly gamble.
Pakistan has also carried out missile attacks targeting nearly 25 Indian cities. However, India is said to have defused a large percentage of them through the Akash defence system. The western media evidence says that India lost 5fighter jets, including the Rafales, at least 15 people were killed because Pakistan was able to launch Pill-15 missiles from a distance that the Rafale fighter jet cannot detect.
After such an exorbitant expenditure did operation Sindoor solve any problem with Pakistan? Was any answer found to Kashmir or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir? Have at least the Pahalgam terrorists been caught or handedover by Pakistan? In the past, when surgical strikes were carried out by India it was declared to have up rooted the terrorists.The central ministers then boasted of that Pakistan and the terrorists will shudder with fear to look at India. The same type of statements flood in the media even now. This may just satisfy the outburst of emotionally charged people for some time but did it really effect the terrorism aimed at India?
On May 9, 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a loan of $1.4 billion to Pakistan. It reviewed consolidation of the $7 billion debt under consideration and unlocked an additional $1 billion in cash. Some of the analysts say that Pakistan has backed out of military clash to facilitate this loan. It was apprehended that the growing conflict with India may hamper IMF rules to sanction loan. But Pakistan was granted a loan amidist the war situation. Why will it go back on that account? There is no room to assume that it is weary of losing financial stability due to expense of defence. In 2024-25, India’s defence budget was Rs 6.22 lakh crore [1.9% of GDP] while Pakistan’s was 2.12 lakh crore [1.7%of GDP]. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the Pakistani media on 10th morning “Looking at the situation, there is no possibility of the tensions easing. Islama bad has no choice but to repay in the same coin. A full-scale war with India is the only way out”. He added that several international organisations have warned of disastrous economic consequences for both if there is a full-scale war.
It is agonising to note-if the war continues- irrespective of who wins, how many lives will be lost on both sides, how much sindoor will be wiped away, how many tears flow and how much wealth and resources be destroyed. These are the immediate losses experienced but uncountable grief engulfs the people due to the long-term effects of war on the earth, ecology and life.
On the evening of the 10th, it was announced that the operations would be stopped. This sudden announcement of cease fire gave rise to a disbelief, shock and discontent among most of the Indians. There was a mixed reaction from people as they were happy that the war ended but they felt something unusual and fishy in the whole process.
The same morning India had announced “we carried out the most effective attack on Pakistan in the early hours of the 10th and have fatally damaged” By the evening US President Donald Trump first announced through a post on his social media platform that “Pakistan and India arrived at a ceasefire agreement and it will be implemented from today 5:00pm IST”. He made it clear that he negotiated the agreement and acclaimed US diplomatic team which mediated a ‘complete and immediate ceasefire’. US President Donald Trump claimed that the US averted a “nuclear conflict” and “a fierce war”, that could have “killed millions of people.” Neither the military commands of India or Pakistan-the two strong, nuclear-armed countries, the parties firing- nor their political leaders were the first to make such statement.
Later, Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar confirmed this.“Pakistan has always worked for peace and tranquillity in the region without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” He said. The Prime Minister of Pakistan appreciated the US role in the agreement and thanked profusely. India did not mention the US intervention, the Indian foreign secretary just declared that the agreement was worked out by the DGMS of both sides. Indian External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar said, “India and Pakistan have today worked out an understanding on stoppage of firing and military action”. “India continues to maintain a firm, uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and it will continue.” he said.
It is not unusual for a common friend to negotiate between two waring nations and bring about an agreement but the over enthusiastic Trump by his post made with an eye for personal credit, threw India in to an embarrassing situation. Since then, Mr. Trump has been repeating similar statements about his role in ceasefire. Mr. Vikram Mistri our Foreign Secretary refuted this claim and told a Parliamentary panel as late as 19th May too that there was no American role in brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire. He ascertained “The decision to stop military actions was taken at a bilateral talk between the two countries,” thus dismissing US involvement and denying any nuclear signalling from Islamabad.
In his address to the Nation on the night of 12th May, Prime Minister Modi said that a“new normal” is established against any terrorist act on Indian soil or against Indian citizens. It will be responded to and retaliated against similarly. Operation Sindoor has drawn a new Lakshman Rekha [red line]. He said that Pakistan is now exposed in front of the world that it threatens the world of using nuclear power if it is prevented from harbouring, supporting and protecting terrorist organisations against India. “However, the threat of nuclear weapons has been countered with Operation Sindoor” “India will not accept any nuclear blackmail” he said. He categorically declared that the firing has been paused for the time being due to pakistan’s resentment. He did not say any thing about the circumstances of the ceasefire or conditions imposed on Pakistan. He was also completely silent about America’s role.
While there was no love of peace in Modi’s speech, his language and body language remained war-promoting. His statement that Operation Sindoor will be a continuous process indicated that the war can be resumed as and when he thinks it fit.
Several media outlets have written that Pakistan pleaded United States to help stop the war, out of its deep concern of the possibility of radioactive leak due to unimaginable attacks on the Noor Khan base [main military command] in Rawalpindi and the Musharraf air base near kirana hills [adjacent to which an underground nuclear storage was supposed to be situated.] Some analysts presume that this base is either under direct control of US experts or under their technical management. For this reason,the US stepped in and put pressure on both Governments and persuaded to call for a cease-fire which Trump had announced it himself.
Pakistan’s Lieutenant General Khalid Ahmad Kidwai explained their nuclear war strategy in 2002, which was mainly centered around India, which referred to four key conditions [“Four Red Lines”]. They are regarded as symbols of Pakistan’s “existential threat”, 1. Breach of territorial integrity (if India attacks Pakistan and occupies its territory) 2. Severe damage to the army (if India destroys a large part of the army or air force),3. Economic loss (if India strangles Pakistan economically),4. Domestic instability (if India provokes internal unrest in Pakistan by supporting divisive movements)were the conditions in which they will launch nuclear weapons. However, India’s stated policy is not to use nuclear weapons first in any condition.
With its retaliatory attacks on Pakistani air bases, India violated at least two of the four “red lines” as per pakistan’s assessment.However, the Indian Air Force has declared that it has not attacked the Kirana Hills. The Military affairs analysts say India has demonstrated that it can eliminate fighter jets and vehicles which carry nuclear weapons and can paralyse Pakistan’s nuclear warheads. “Pakistan is deeply concerned that its Nuclear Command Authority will be decapitated and the missile attack on Noor Khan can be interpreted as a warning that India will be able to do so” a former US official told the New York Times.
In the physical, political and economic situation in which Pakistan now stands, it is not in a position to wage a full-fledged war against India and continue for a long time, so also is India. Many believe that the Pakistani leadership may have resorted to a ceasefire out of anxiety due to the simultaneously increasing armed attacks by BLA in Balochistan.
The drone and missile strike between Pakistan and India were relentless, intense and wide. Both of them responded with the same vehemence. “It is because of this capability of air force exhibited by both equally leading to heavy losses, the political leadership in both sides moved towards peace. Diplomatic discussions have begun” said a retired military officer. Many believe that these unexpected nuclear developments have led to the current ceasefire. But,this is not a ceasefire, it is a break or pause in the firing as per our PM. Hours after the announcement of the ceasefire on May 10, explosions were heard in Jammu and Kashmir cities according to the Associated Press, “No problem has been solved. Why have you agreed for this ceasefire” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked. This question is being raised all over the country.
What we must note is that the present military action did not begin to be fought as a protracted war. It was just warning to the rulers and terrorists of Pakistan, and as an opportunity to enhance the prestige and fanfare of Indian Government. Its purpose is to provide an outlet to the emotions incited in the people of the country, an act of symbolic non escalating retaliation to quench their passion for war and address the sentiment of the electorate to some extent. Hence Operation Sindoor is called off abruptly when this limited purpose was served. It was an act of emotional relief rather than a war to solve the problem to the end.
However, as ceasefire with Pakistan is in place, it is time to take stock of the total situation. But the political parties are divided and naturally each party tries to prove its patriotism. The Congress targeted Mr. Jaishankar suggesting that the Indian side had informed Pakistan on 7th May ahead of the military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. However, the Ministry of External Affairs had described it as “utter misrepresentation” of facts by Congress. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri rebutted Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Pakistan being informed at the “start of the attack.” He informed a Parliamentary panel on 19th May that our DGMO spoke to his Pakistani counterpart about Operation Sindoor only after the “first strike.” “How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew about the attack” Rahul Gandhi questioned in a post on X. “This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth,” Gandhi lamented. When asked if India had lost any jets in the operation, MEA officials said it was beyond their domain to answer that question. However, the publicity division of the external Ministry on another occasion said-“Mr. Gandhi seems to have learned nothing from his past mistakes and continues to disrespect the Nation’s Armed Forces by questioning how many jets were lost— despite clear statements from the IAF and MEA confirming there were no asset losses.” The BJP was ready to hit back, accusing Gandhi of speaking the “language of Pakistan” and asking whether the Congress party was truly serious about supporting the nation.
Pakistan has claimed to have destroyed two Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, a Russian S-30 and two domestic Mirage-2000 aircraft. News agencies such as CNN, Reuters and The Telegraph confirm this. Lot of discussion is going on throughout the world regarding the fighter jets, air defence systems, radar surveillance used by India and Pakistan. Each one producing his own evidence the war equipment manufactures are conducting a sales promotion war. In this advertisement bonanza the truth is sacrificed. Facts about the true efficacy or failure in war field may not come out immediately. But today there are umpteen number of ways including satellite pictures, worldwide recordings for ascertaining the facts on the field. Seeking truth is not unpatriotic. The voice of govt. alone will not be taken as for granted. Innumerable media channels cannot be supressed even if Govt wants so. Any one asking for truth can’t be branded as antinational. The internal scenario is undergoing see thru changes as the international information is unfolding.
International aspects of Indo-Pak ceasefire
More than the end of “Operation Sindoor”, the manner in which it ended left the Indian masses disgusted. Some expected miracles to happen in this operation mainly due to the sentiments raked and nurtured by the rulers . They anticipated that the operation would continue until Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was recaptured. Few others thought that Pakistan would lose its existence as a country and will fall divided into pieces like Balochistan, Fakhtunistan, Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad etc. Far from reality it was a fantasy carefully implanted and nurtured by Indian rulers for decades in the minds of a common Indian. Even in the present episode of terror attack or the military action, the speeches and writings of some responsible persons in the Government, the media and the news channels have all led people into this fantastic imagination. So, the end of the war has deeply hurt the “patriots”. The announcement of Mr. Trump came as an unbelievable anticlimax. They perceived it as an undermining blow to our sovereign[js1] authority and sovereign government. Even those who were labelled as ‘unpatriotic, antinationals’ when they proposed not to go for a war and wanted a non- military strategy and diplomatic methods to be imposed in retaliation- were also dumb struck. They are now protesting against this way of conclusion. “This act is a testimony to show how committed India is to USA’s hegemonic strategy. It also highlights the influence of the imperialist authority on the rulers of independent India” they argue.
Operation Sindoor DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, Air Marshal A K Bharti, Vice Admiral A N Pramod and Major General SS Sharda addressed a press conference on Operation Sindoor in Delhi on May 12. Four top brass military officials at a time addressing press is very unusual. The meeting was held only after the ceasefire. The Truth is said to be the first casualty of the war. It is treated as diplomacy to tell how we have inflicted an irrecoverable death blow on the opposite side and with what a little damage we emerged as victorious. This press conference is no exception. But they could not give a satisfactory answer to the people as to why the war had to be called off in this stage of victories to India.”We have severely damaged pakistan’s warplanes and missiles Indian technology, the capability of our army, akash, bhargava and other weapons, our arsenale have been successfully tested in the battle conditions. Some people are also celebrating that our weapons will get an international market. On the question of Damage to the muchacclaimed Rafel war plane there was no direct answer. Mr AK Bharti replied, “There will be some damages in the war, but all our pilots have returned safely.” Everyone knows how much publicity has been done in the country about this aircraft for the last decade or so
The governments want people to remember the achievements only. So, a nationwide ‘tiranga yatra’ was designed by BJP to instil a sense of pride and unity and to focus on the valour of Indian army. The military officials tell us how many military victories they have achieved. They are trying to defuse the growing discontent among the people against the Rulers of India and try to channelise emotions of the people back in their favour. It is seen that the easiest way out for this manoeuvering is to incite anti-China sentiments among the people.
Weapons imported from various countries were used in this war from both sides. But our officials have specifically singled out China as supplier of military equipment to Pakistan. Some alleged that China had provided Pakistan with air defence and satellite support during the clash. Some Indian media outlets portrayed China as shielding “terrorism”. Western media outlets amplified these narratives, attempting to influence public opinion. They pointed out that Pakistan used Chinese weapons and planes against India and India put down them successfully. It was so propagated as if we defeated simultaeneously two birds- Pakistan and China- in a single shot.
Expressing concern over the escalation of tensions, China urged the two countries to resolve their differences through dialogue. Russia ‘the most trusted friend of India’ calls for de-escalation and peaceful resolution. While condemning terrorism, Russia has emphasized the need for both sides to exercise restraint and resolve differences through peaceful dialogue. Many countries voiced the same and asked to prevent regional destabilization. They expressed hope for a peaceful resolution through diplomatic and political means. Remember Indias similar stand in case of Ukraine and other waring nations. Several international organizations, including the United Nations and IMF have stressed on de-escalating tensions.They have warned of dire econo mic consequences if hostilities continue. But no one has said that they support India’s attacks on Pakistan.
Turkiye openly condemned india’s air strikes and declared them as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and extended its support to Islamabad. India drew a line that only Türkiye, Azerbaijan and China stood on the side of Pakistan while all others supported us. and also prejudice to blame China as leader of an Anti- India Axis
It is well known that Sino-Pak relations in all fields including the military sector have been going on for decades. India initially narrated that Pakistan was using Turkish drones. But now it has publicly mentioned the name of Chinese weapons. Then What about USA, which is seen all over Pakistan providing equipment, training, and technology to improve nuclear security measures like detecting radiation and protecting facilities. Why the fact that Pakistan used the US weapons in a large proportion was underplayed? US claims to be an ally of India and Pakistan, then How could it allow their F-16 aircraft against India? Nothing from US was done in support of India either in IMF or in the UNSC resolutions.
It was widely publicised that Indian armed forces intercepted and defused a range of sophisticated foreign weapons used by Pakistan, including China’s PL-15 missiles and Turkish biker YIHA3drones. The PL-15, developed by China, is a long-range, radar-guided missile designed to hit air targets. Their of domestic version has a range of 300-500 km. They have given pakistan only those with a maximum range of 145 kilometers. On April 26, the Pakistan Air Force released visuals of the JF-17s with PL-15E and PL-10 missiles. Both Countries are jointly manufacturing J-17 aircraft. None of this is a secret. But what was the purpose of the Indian Army’s statement on PL-15, two days after halting all military operations?
China condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and china opposes all forms of terrorism, their foreign minister Wang Yi said. “The current international situation is turbulent and intertwined.” He made it clear to India’s Defence Advisor Ajit Doval “Peace and stability in the Asian region have been hard-won and need to be protected. India and Pakistan are neighbours who cannot move away physically, both of which are neighbours of China also. China appreciates the statement that war is not India’s choice and sincerely hopes that India and Pakistan will remain peaceful and restrained, that differences will be resolved properly through dialogue and consultation.” He advised that both countries should exercise caution so that the situation does not worsen. China hopes to achieve a permanent ceasefire. It is in the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan and also is the common aspiration of the international community. India sends wrong signals on China’s role in its enmity with Pakistan. China adopted a principled approach. China often repeated “China is willing to work with India to enhance mutual trust, manage differences, and expand co-opera tion on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation.”
“Since the outbreak of the India-Pakistan conflict, China has not only repeated ly called on both sides to exercise restraint and avoid escalation, but has also engaged with both countries through multiple channels. China hopes that India and Pakistan will resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation and return to the path of political resolution.” Commented the global times. China’s role as a mediator in the South Asian conflicts and its importance to counter-terrorism efforts in the region has to be marked cautiously. China has been committed to maintaining peace and stability in South Asia. What will India achieve by including China in the enemy camp.
“Pakistan has become isolated in the world and more than 150 countries are supporting India and have achieved a massive diplomatic victory along with a military victory.” Is the picture painted by Indian authorities and press. It is rather misinforming the people In the wake of Operation Sindoor and the subsequent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, the international community called on both countries “to exercise restraint and avoid war.” It was the international message to India.
For some reason, the US played a key role in mediating the ceasefire, with President Donald Trump explaining US efforts in facilitating the deal. Trump, who had earlier said that the leaders of the two countries acted with common sense and wisdom and agreed to a cease-fire; Later he declared “I threatened to impose economic sanctions and trade sanctions on both if they don’t end the war the next day,and only then both countries have agreed for ceasefire.” Nothing can be deduced from such various contrary and self-contradictory announcements.But it is clear that America’s aim is to ensure its influence on both countries does not diminish, whether the war is fought or called off.
India has repeatedly rejected US President Trump’s offer to mediate in the dispute with Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir. To mitigate the tarnished image caused by the US hastened statement, India has been reiterating that any issue related to Kashmir will be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan, It is a long-standing national position of India. We should hope that India stands by that axim.
Prime Minister Modi visited the Adampur air base on the morning of the 13th May. It was interesting to note that Modi chose this air base for his visit. It is popularly known as the key air defence centre for our S-400 system. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) is referring to Adampur as one of the air bases that they have caused the most damage. PM is sending a signal to the international community that Adampur is safe and that Pakistan is spreading false propaganda. Interestingly Pakistan PM also visited some airbases proclaimed as damaged by India
Trump’s role in the Indo-Pak ceasefire has become a matter of debate. “I am very proud that the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan has the power, wisdom, and courage to understand that the time has come to stop the current aggression that has led to the death and destruction of so many.” Trump himself declared. Shortly after Trump’s announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided more details about the US role in mediating the talks. “In the last 48 hours, I have met senior officials of India and Pakistan, including prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik and Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir. Vice President J D Vance held discussions,” he said. “There has been a great effort from the President’s team, especially Secretary Rubio, and I thank the leaders of India and Pakistan for their support in this ceasefire,” Mr Vance said.
The matter was not mentioned anywhere in the statements made by Indian sources. Contrary to India’s stand, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that “thanks to the active leadership role played by President Trump for peace in the region”. “Pakistan congratulates the United States for its support in this development, which we have agreed to in the interest of stability,” he said. Sharif personally thanked Vance and Rubio for their valuable contributions to peace in South Asia. “Pakistan sees it as a new beginning in resolving the issues plaguing the region and hindering its journey towards peace, prosperity and stability,” he said in an interview.
Trump again later stated “I am proud of India and Pakistan for stopping the aggression that is causing so many deaths and destruction. I am proud that the United States has been able to help you come to this historic, heroic decision. Although not discussed so far, I am going to significantly increase trade with these two great countries.”
One of trump’s election promises was that he would stop the wars. it was prompted that his desire is to be recognised as an emissary of peace and to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He could not stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict or the Israeli-Palestinian carnage. There is a strong opinion that the ceasefire was announced by threatening and without preparation for de-escalation. That may be the reason for few violations of the agreement here and there both accused each other for violations. If really Pakistan pleaded for cease fire, why would it violate? Pakistani armed forces declared that they had handled the situation “with responsibility and restraint”and are committed to faithfully enforce the ceasefire.
Will Trump do anything in india’s favour? The big question is whether his friendship with Modi will be of any use to our country. India has asked to stop the IMF’s loan to Pakistan. But Pakistan has received the first tranche of loan of $1 billion. This is not possible without the support of the US. It is well known that Turkey is providing drones and missiles to Pakistan. During this war, the US has agreed to sell $304 million worth of missiles to Turkey. India will also suffer financially due to the war. Trump has announced a 5% tax on funds sent by NRIs to India from the US. This will reduce india’s income. Also, no special concessions were given to India in the tariffs imposed as part of the trade war. Trade deal was not finalised yet. We saw many Indians being deported from America in the name of illegal immigration. Given all this, we cannot believe that Trump will stand up for India’s interests.
It is a war between war technologies
The US signed an agreement to sell 18 new F-16 C/D fighter jets to Pakistan in September2024. Another deal was signed for the modernization of the 34 previously purchased US F-16 A/B aircraft. Trump released $397 million for the US-backed nuclear weapons program in Pakistan in February 2025. It will also be used for the maintenance of F-16 fighter jets provided by the US. There was a condition that those fighter jets should be used only for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations and not against India, but there were reports that Pakistan had used F-16s in these attacks and that India had shot them down.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) operates 161 JF-17 Thunder aircraft, supplied by China. It has various models. The JF-17 is the cheapest, warplane designed by China for export. It is based on the Russian engine. Its weapon system is not state-of-the-art. China uses the J-20, J-10C, which is suitable for its air defence needs. Pakistan used JF-17s in these attacks and they were shot down by Indias greatly promoted Sudarshan Chakra. Now this Indian air-to-air defence wheel that surpassed the technology of both the US and China is gaining popularity.
Any war is viewed by arms suppliers as an opportunity to test technology in real time. New technologies have been tested in operation Sindoor. The French Rafale, the Ruassian S400, the Chinese J10C & J17, the Israeli weapons in India, Turkish weapons in Pakistan, American F35 fighter jets, many indigenous technologies of India were all tested on field and now a trade promotion war is going on. It is not unusual to think of eruption of a new war when the required modifications in the presently tested armamentarium are carried out by the suppliers.
Diplomatic war on launch
Trump’s description of both India and Pakistan as great nations, and extolling of the two leaders as wise is not palatable to the Indian rulers. Equating India with a terrorist country like Pakistan is more humiliating. Although India inter-twined with the global strategy of the US it did not get any priority from the US. Even the Quad countries did not support it wholly.
Pakistan is said to have been diplomatically isolated but for them foreign relations with Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China are important. Extensive cooperation in national security and economic interests with the Persian Gulf is important for it. It maintains extensive bilateral relations with the United States and other Western countries. At present there has been no significant change in this position. There is no sign of their relations deteriorating.
It is true that most of the world powers have condemned the Pahalgam attack and accepted India’s right to self-defence. However, it is not clear whether they supported India’s military attack on Pakistan. The United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, the United States, France, Japan, Saudi Arabia. Key Gulf countries such as the UAE and Qatar have expressed various shades of solidarity with India. But all of them advised and invited ceasefire measures.
Sensing this lacuna Post ceasefire India has taken up a mission to garner support to its action from the inter-national community. The Indian govern ment is sending Seven delegations with one cause to 32 countries. Multi-party delegations, comprising Members of Parliament, senior leaders and former diplomats, will visit foreign capitals over the next two weeks to convey to the countries, including present and future members of the United Nations Security Council — that India had been a victim of terror emanating from its neighbouring country. India wants the world to approve its fight against Pakistan as fight against terrorism. This fight must be treated as a part of global attack on terrorism. The purpose of these delegations is to ensure that the world do not equate India and Pakistan – one a victim of terror and the other the perpetrator. The delegations reach out from bigger countries like USA, UK, France, Japan to small countries like Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, Guyana, Ethiopia, Panama etc., This is a wider diplomatic attempt by India to isolate Pakistan internationally. Pakistan is also resorting to deploy certain delegations to counter Indias efforts. This clearly shows that the world is not sailing with us as we claim.
India has recently lodged a protest against the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s continued disbursal of loans to Islamabad, which are being utilised to nurture terrorists. India makes efforts to get Pakistan back into grey list of the Financial Action Task Force.
All such acts breed increased enmity, mistrust, vengeance and revenge. The core problem between India and Pakistan is Kashmir. The breeding ground for cross border terrorist activities is the conflict over Kashmir. So, the urgent task is to resolve the Kashmir issue. Otherwise, the current fragile peace will be broken at any time. To convert it into lasting peace dialogue is the only way. Apart from Kashmir the Islamic terrorism also has to be dealt with deftly
We have to realise the fact that the the socalled Islamic terrorism is very deep seated. The hegemonic attitude of USA and its anti-Russian modus operandi of 1980s was the main supporter of Islamic terrorism. From 1980s with its support of Afghan Jihad policy USA was aiding the terrorist activities. It created, imparted training, spent billions of dollars through ISI, CIA and made Pakistan a geographical hub of terrorists. Organisations like Alquaida, Muzahiddin,Taliban LeT and many more groups with different names took birth from this American policy and were fully protected and nurtured by it. Pakistan’s military and government were encouraged to do this. Billions of dollars were pumped into Pakistan economy for this purpose. But today the terrorist organisations grew so gigantic and out of control of their mentors that they targeted USA in the same Afghanistan. America had to withdraw shamefully. Now USA timidly exhibits a face of anti-terrorist champion. it talks of a “global war on terror.”
The religious conflicts existing in Indian subcontinent even before 1980s- treating Muslims and Hindus as two separate nations which often lead to collusions [at least three wars were fought between India and Pakistan by then] got a new Phillip with this new jihadi politics and has grown to a monstrous level now. Parallelly the growth of Hindu fundamentalism, discrimination towards Indian Muslims added oil to the fire. The fire is now at a blazen stage. The role of USA in this process at each step cannot be underestimated. How can such a force be allowed to mediate on the issue of Kashmir? How can India fight terrorism sitting in the lap of USA which itself is a perpetrator. The hegemonic forces clearly support terrorism in some places and oppose in other places. They condemn certain outfits of terrorism but silently promote some others. Terrorism should not be promoted for narrow geopolitical purposes.
Hence Modi’s often repeated words “this is not the era of wars, nor the age of terrorists”, must be put to practice always in the same spirit. The world has to fight to end terrorism in all regions and in all its forms. Partisan attitudes towards terrorism are futile, ineffective and useless to curb.
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Dr. S. Jatin Kumar is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession and a social activist working for people’s democratic movements. He is presently vice president of the Organisation for Protection of Democratic Rights -OPDR- Telangana state and a central secretariat member of India China friendship Association-ICFA. He has contributed to counter currents several times
