I remember that a similar situation arose in 2019 between Pakistan and India — a war-like atmosphere. India even launched an operation, claiming they conducted a military strike in Balakot, Pakistan, targeting alleged terrorist hideouts. Later, it turned out there was no truth to those claims. In fact, Pakistan shot down one of their planes within its territory and captured their pilot, Abhinandan. His story became very well known. Pakistan handled him in a civilized way, as a responsible country should.
At that time, I recall that all political parties in Pakistan, despite the opposition facing a tough time — Imran Khan’s PTI government was in power and many were in jail — still supported the government in the National Assembly. That’s because situations like this are not about one party or one institution; the whole country is affected. This is not just about Pakistan; it’s true for any nation. When a country faces a crisis, it impacts everyone, and that’s why all political parties displayed maturity back then. PML-N, which was under pressure at the time, also supported the government.
I believe when such circumstances arise, everyone should unite for the sake of the country, set aside their personal grievances and political issues, and act in the national interest. Currently, PTI is making demands — their cases are in the courts — but I think it’s inappropriate to raise such demands when the country is going through a difficult phase.
During the recent in-camera briefing at the Pakistan Division Headquarters, many political leaders attended. The DG ISPR and Information Minister briefed them on the national security situation and the army’s readiness. PTI was the only major party that did not attend, claiming they would only support the government if Imran Khan was released. In my opinion, this is blackmail and should not happen. Most of their cases are in court, and that’s where they should seek justice — not by pressuring during a national crisis.
As for the incident in Pahalgam, quite some days have passed, yet India has provided no solid evidence about what really happened or who was behind it. I’ve been covering such military operations, drone strikes, and bomb blasts for nearly 25 years. In such incidents, security forces usually transport the wounded to hospitals, gather forensic evidence, identify the type of weapons used, the attackers’ route, and whether explosives were used. If any arrests happen, it becomes clearer who the perpetrators were — whether they were locals or came from outside.
India seems to have acted hastily, without evidence, and immediately blamed Pakistan — a classic example of a ‘false flag operation.’ This means carrying out an act for hidden motives, then blaming another party or country. It could be a security failure, or it could be deliberate.
From conversations with people associated with militant or jihadi groups, many have said that if they get access to enemy territory — which in this case would be an Indian military-dominated area — their target would be a significant military installation, not civilians or tourists. Killing innocent people is not their objective. So I think the facts are becoming clearer. India is very active diplomatically and their media is highly irresponsible. But if India had any solid evidence, they could have made things very difficult for Pakistan internationally. It’s fortunate for Pakistan that no tangible evidence has surfaced yet.
India has strong global connections, especially with powerful lobbies in the US. Pakistan is already facing serious challenges and can’t afford further escalation. The world knows both countries are nuclear powers. This is not a small matter — if conflict escalates, it could have devastating consequences. Pakistan has effectively held India in check, not just for its own sake but for the whole region — including Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Despite the size of India’s population, economy, and military power, Pakistan has managed to maintain strategic parity.
This issue is not just limited to India. Around the world, governments often use such incidents to distract from domestic issues they can’t resolve politically. Modi has been in power since 2014, and tensions — especially in Kashmir — have increased drastically under his leadership. He has built a narrative both in India and abroad portraying Pakistan as an obstacle to India’s progress, but that’s not the reality.
When the US made a vague statement about avoiding regional escalation, it essentially implied an attack might be coming. But global powers know very well what the repercussions of an Indian strike inside Pakistan would be. The situation is being quietly managed through backdoor diplomacy. Iran recently stated they will visit both India and Pakistan, and other countries are also involved in diplomatic efforts.
It’s common during high tensions that friendly nations try to mediate. Pakistan has even called for a UN Security Council meeting — a major diplomatic move that shows Pakistan wants peace and is willing to cooperate in investigations. If Pakistan had any role in such an incident, it wouldn’t have taken such a bold and transparent stance.
So the question is — can a permanent solution be found to this never-ending hostility? Sadly, since the creation of these two nations, generations have passed under the shadow of conflict. A major reason is that powerful countries, particularly the US, have used Pakistan for their own strategic purposes. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and later after 9/11, Pakistan played a front-line role. Yet we suffered the most — in terms of lives, economy, and social fabric — and never received due recognition. Instead, we were accused of harbouring terrorism.
I remember during a 2009 visit to the US, someone told me, ‘Oh, you’re from Pakistan — you people are terrorists.’ I calmly explained that I had come on a UN journalism fellowship, and that in Pakistan, hundreds of schools had been blown up, and daily terror attacks occurred. Slowly, people began to understand. It’s important that we communicate to the world that we are victims of terrorism — not its perpetrators.
Pakistan has faced massive violence internally, often backed by foreign funding and elements. Yet our diplomatic response has been weak. Even when we had evidence — like in the case of train hijacking, first of its kind worldwide, or attacks on civilians — we didn’t push the narrative globally. Meanwhile, India continues to abuse minorities, especially Muslims, without international backlash.
In Pakistan, all religious and ethnic communities live with greater freedom. Sikhs, Hindus, Christians — all are part of society. If you visit hospitals or markets, you’ll see no discrimination. Indians who visit notice this and are often surprised by the tolerance they see here. Of course, isolated incidents happen everywhere — even in the US — but the scale and frequency in India are alarming.
This is why it’s crucial for Pakistanis abroad to inform others about the reality — that we are not terrorists, we are victims of terrorism.
