Modi’s Pakistan policy

Per a former Indian ambassador writing in Dawn, Narendra Modi's refusal to engage with Pakistan represents calculated policy rather than diplomatic friction—a stance the author says is unprecedented in its hostility. One hundred seventeen activists and former officials from both nations appealed last month to Modi and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resume dialogue over shared challenges. The author argues Modi weaponizes terrorism and communal tensions for domestic political gain, hardening public sentiment while enabling India to sidestep an uncomfortable reality: its inability to impose its will on Pakistan militarily or diplomatically. India is leveraging the Indus Waters Treaty as both bargaining tool and alleged cover to reshape facts in Kashmir. The analysis situates this conflict within a complex regional landscape—including India-Israel ties and broader US-China strategic competition—making resolution increasingly difficult. While calling for change on both sides, the author contends India, having initiated the breakdown in dialogue, bears primary responsibility for restoring it.

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