India is playing with fire as it is indulging in unilateral actions that are escalating tension. The shooting down of an Indian quadcopter drone near LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a categorical proof of meddling and espionage meant to raise the stakes in an already volatile situation.
India's undesired response to the Pahalgam killings in the form of suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and downgrading diplomatic ties has pushed both the nuclear states to the brink of an assured confrontation. Perhaps, India is either testing Pakistan's patience or is unmindful of the latter's militaristic prowess and nation's resilience in adversity.
India's childish attempts to cow down Pakistan by flying surveillance sorties and its dreams of hot-pursuit misadventures will fall flat, and there are no guarantees that the ensuing duel shall be restricted to conventional warfare. Remember, Pakistan's National Security Committee has resolved to go ahead with "full spectrum response" in case of any threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
India's inflammatory rhetoric to fix Pakistan and the exchange of fire on LoC, shattering years of uneasy peace, seem to be a step towards warmongering. The unfortunate aspect is that it has come after Islamabad's desire to be part of an 'independent' probe into the April 22 terror attack. New Delhi should have responded to it by working together in the realms of counterterrorism cooperation, but that was not the case.
It's time for the international community to prevail over India and make it realise that jingoism and blame game is not the way to go as it pertains to peace and security of more than two billion people in the region. The diplomatic proactivity of the UAE, Iran and Saudi Arabia - eager to broker a thaw by scaling down the rising volatility — is appreciated.
India, as a responsible power, must learn to live with its neighbours and shun the hegemonic designs that it nurses for the sake of bolstering its image at the expense of regional tranquility.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ