Onus on Pakistan to heed India’s warning in the aftermath of Op Sindoor

Operation Sindoor was launched by India against terrorist centres in Pakistan and against military infrastructure in that country. This operation was in response to the cross-border terrorist attack near Pahalgam on

April 22 — a major intelligence failure for which accountability is yet to be fixed.

India’s air-defence systems performed extremely well and its troops displayed appropriate skills in handling high-tech military equipment. Pakistan’s success lay in shelling Indian villages in J&K and inflicting civilian casualties.

Pakistan has also claimed it had knocked down Indian fighter planes. The precise casualty figures on both sides or the full extent of damage to military assets has still not been fully disclosed.

We have to wait and see if this operation is enough to dissuade Pakistan from continuing with cross-border terror attacks and give up its policy of a “thousand cuts” against India. Going by the past record and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir’s recent statements, it seems unlikely.

India’s response, as and when the next terrorist attack takes place, is likely to be significantly enhanced. India must war-game what red lines can and must be crossed. Pakistan must realise the outcome of a nuclear conflict.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has also claimed that it has destroyed a few Indian aircraft. The Army chief has been promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. But what should concern us is that few countries openly stood with India during this brief conflict. When India tried to block the IMF loan to Pakistan, it was not successful.

It is said that the IMF usually allows such loans through, especially when the economy of a country is in dire straits. Perhaps this reflects on our foreign policy, especially in view of the fact that we don’t have friendly relations with any of our immediate neighbours.

Before the launch of Operation Sindoor, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is believed to have warned Pakistan about our attack. Was this an act of diplomacy or serious breach of security, which resulted in the escape of some terrorists?

While the Minister now says that he had informed Pakistan 15-30 minutes after the launch, in response to Rahul Gandhi’s question, some analysts argue the warning was necessary in order to move out the civilian population. Imagine if a few hundred innocent people had been killed along with terrorists, these analysts say.

As for India now dispatching parliamentary and diplomatic teams to various countries to brief them on Pakistan’s terrorist activities and the compulsions for India to launch Operation Sindoor, it seems like a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

The people of Pakistan must realise that its Army is unnecessarily creating the bogey of a threat from India. Pakistan’s poor state of the economy and bankruptcy is directly related to its enormous expenditure on defence.

It needs to develop good neighbourly relations with India. Good relations and enhanced trade with India will work to Pakistan’s great advantage. India desires a friendly and prosperous Pakistan.

Finally what have been the gains from Op Sindoor for India and Pakistan? For India, besides demonstrating its resolve to meet cross-border terrorism head on, there are expectations of electoral gain.

On the Pakistan side, the fissures that were surfacing in its Army seems to have been closed. The Pakistan Army’s standing in the country appears to have been restored.

Lt Gen Harwant Singh (retd) is former deputy chief of army staff.

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