Mint Quick Edit | Post-Sindoor: Another wake-up call for Pakistan
Summary
In a probable fit of misplaced bravado, Pakistan tried to attack military targets in India, but was not just thwarted, it faced further Indian heat. Can Pakistani delusions survive contact with reality?A misplaced sense of bravado might be getting the better of Pakistan. Late on Wednesday night and early on Thursday, it tried to attack Indian military facilities in 15 cities. These were thwarted by India’s air defence systems, which shot down missiles and drones from across the border. Islamabad’s escalation provoked retaliatory action by Indian forces, which went after Pakistan’s air defence systems, including in Lahore.
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While India has been proportionate in its responses, Pakistan’s reckless move seems more an attempt to salvage lost pride than anything else. The failure of its defence apparatus to stop India’s Operation Sindoor and the heavy losses it suffered may have embarrassed it.
Also Read: Pakistan must step back from the brink of worse
But a notch-up of hostilities against a much stronger India will only worsen its misery. Equity investors gave Pakistan’s overnight actions a big thumbs down. Its main stock index tanked 9% on Thursday and trading had to be halted. In trying to match India move-for-move, the military establishment in Pakistan reveals a lack of strategic depth in its thinking.
Also Read: Pakistan must wake up and smell the geo-economic brew
A country can live with delusions, but these usually don’t survive contact with hard reality. A wake-up moment is upon Pakistan.
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