The recent terror strike near Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 unarmed civilians, has left the nation stunned and grieving. The anguished cries of the victims’ families continue to reverberate across India, raising one grim question: Why did Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir greenlight such a barbaric act?
In a conversation with Brigadier S K Chatterji (Retd), Editor at BharatShakti, Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale delved into the strategic calculus behind the provocation.
“Gen Munir is cornered — battling his own insecurities and the Pakistan Army’s waning credibility as the country’s guardian institution,” Gokhale noted. “He’s fallen back on a time-worn playbook: stir nationalist sentiment by projecting an inflated threat from India to distract from internal decay.”
India’s response has been swift — and strategic. As the upper riparian state, New Delhi has already suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a move that could severely strain Pakistan’s water-dependent agricultural sector and trigger a deeper crisis in an already water-scarce country.
Harder retaliatory options are also reportedly on the table. A coordinated cyber offensive targeting Pakistan’s fragile critical infrastructure could push its struggling economy closer to collapse.
Gokhale, however, emphasized that India’s response would be measured, not impulsive. “It won’t be a kinetic reaction within ten days like Balakot was after Pulwama. This time, it will be deliberate and calculated — potentially broader in scope. Pakistan doesn’t have the conventional capability to sustain conflict across multiple fronts.”
India might also leverage its influence with Baluch insurgents or exploit Pakistan’s deteriorating ties with Afghanistan, creating further internal pressure on Islamabad.
Strategically, Pakistan may have already lost more than it bargained for. “Despite pockets of pro-Pakistan sentiment, most Kashmiris are likely to turn away from Islamabad after this carnage. The damage to Pakistan’s credibility in the Valley is deep and lasting,” Gokhale observed.
Whatever India decides to do next, one thing is certain: the response will be precise, patient — and potent.
Team BharatShakti
