The recent outbreak of hostilities along the Line of Control as well as the Working Boundary is distressing. Before Modi’s government, there was some faint movement, through people-to-people and cultural contacts, towards normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India. The hope of peace, it seems, has been dashed, albeit for the time being.
A video clip of India’s new national security adviser Ajit Doval is very instructive in understanding the mindset of the chauvinistic and communal rightwing BJP towards Pakistan. Doval clearly defines the shift of India’s policy towards Pakistan from being defensive to becoming offensive. He has also apparently asserted that Pakistan is much more vulnerable than India.
Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad