Arsalan Bilal
India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed neighbors in South Asia, are on the brink of an open conflict yet again. The two countries have fought several wars since their independence from British colonial rule in 1947, with tensions frequently flaring up over the disputed region of Kashmir. Hostilities between the two countries have long been simmering, but rarely have military engagements gone beyond the de facto border that the two countries share in the disputed Kashmir region.
Now, however, the strategic calculus has shifted owing to India’s missile strikes inside Pakistan, in its heartland. For the first time in decades, India has significantly expanded the geographic and operational scope of its military operations against Pakistan.
India has struck deep inside Pakistan after over half a century. The 1971 full-scale war between the two sides was the last occasion when this happened. Conducting strikes deep inside mainland Pakistan marks an alarming departure from the longstanding pattern of restricting military engagements primarily to the Kashmir region, where neither country has de jure jurisdiction. Also, it is unprecedented since 1971 that India has reportedly used all three forces against Pakistan—the army, navy, and air force.
By extending the theatre of military confrontation beyond the traditional flashpoint of Kashmir and by employing all military instruments, India has effectively redefined the rules of military engagement with Pakistan. It has demonstrated that it is willing and capable of carrying out swift yet extensive conventional military action not only along the border region in the disputed Kashmir region but also potentially anywhere inside the internationally recognized Pakistani territory.
No comments:
Post a Comment