Pakistan didn’t want a war with India. Pakistan didn’t start the war with India. But, in some ways, the war has been a godsend for Pakistan. It has unified the country, boosted morale, and shown the world that Pakistan is fully capable of defending itself against Indian aggression, while responding in a mature and restrained manner.
India’s miscalculations were manifold. Not only did its military lose equipment and personnel to Pakistan, but its media exposed itself as one of the most belligerent and deceitful. Among the factors driving India’s unwarranted attack on Pakistan were the beliefs: that Pakistan is too internally divided to mount a cohesive response; that screaming “Islamic terrorist” will give India the type of impunity Israel has enjoyed; and that Pakistan’s weak economy means that Pakistan is no match for India.
None of this transpired. Pakistan may have been internally divided, but not enough to let India get its way. In fact, nothing binds Pakistanis together like an attack from our eastern neighbour. Barring an irrelevant fringe, Pakistanis of all political persuasions came together, put their differences aside, and rallied behind the government and our armed forces.
India’s attempts to malign Pakistan as a sponsor of “Islamic terrorism” also fell flat, as western hegemony is on the decline and more than two decades have passed since 9/11. The terrorism the world is watching in real time nowadays is the one in Gaza, carried out against, and not by, Muslims. In addition, with the rise of social media, the narrative is no longer dominated by mainstream western press. Hence, large parts of the world, including a significant group of young people in the West itself, are unmoved by India’s efforts to portray what happened in Pehlgam as “Islamic terrorism”.
Pakistan, for its part, has been particularly adept at leveraging strategic partnerships with non-western friends. Pakistan’s pivot to regional allies enhanced its capability in pushing back against recent Indian aggression. No longer reliant on western weapons and technology to mount a military offensive meant Pakistan wasn’t as constrained by western approval either. This new reality has shocked not only India, but also Europe and the United States.
With China and Türkiye firmly by its side, and echoes of support from countries like Azerbaijan and even Bangladesh, Pakistan came out strong despite its weaker economy. India, the superpower-wannabe, could not get any country other than Israel to unequivocally offer it solidarity. Nor did any country buy India’s narrative on Pakistan being a sponsor of terrorism or issue any condemnation on that front.
The reason for that was simple. India had no proof for its malicious allegation. Pakistan came clean and repeatedly requested an impartial inquiry into the Pehlgam terror attack. In this is a lesson for all. When one side tells the truth, and the other lies, the truthful side wins. It was Pakistan, and not India, that had the moral high ground this time, and the world saw that.
Going forward, however, Pakistan must remember this lesson. The world respects strength, resolve and forthrightness. Pakistan displayed all three. It must do the same as it continues to battle the equally serious threat of terrorism. It must show the same degree of chivalry in targeting terrorists and their hideouts, so that women and children are never at risk.
The recent pressers by the service chiefs were impressive, not only in showcasing their competence as a military force, but in the manifestation of qualities like humility and honouring commitments made to the nation. This is, after all, the real Islam — the recognition that we must be honest and true to our word, and that we must always bow our heads to Allah, both in victory and in defeat, and seek guidance from Him.
The DG ISPR noted recently that the terrorists have a perverted view of religion — one that doesn’t discriminate between civilians and military targets when launching offensives. Our high command at the moment has a unique opportunity, with the nation rallying behind it, to press upon this distinction and to distinguish, with both its words and actions, the true and humane face of real Islam from the deviant and violent brand of religion the extremists espouse.
If quotes from the scripture and references to the Qur’an are used for this purpose, not only would it have a positive impact on our own largely religious population, but Pakistan would be looked upon with admiration in the Muslim world and beyond. We must also remember, however, that while Pakistan is overwhelmingly Muslim, citizens of other faiths must never feel discriminated against, and we must go the extra mile to offer them state protection. We must do better than India — not only militarily, but on every front.
Ayesha Ijaz Khan
The writer is a lawyer who has worked for Pakistani and American law firms and currently lives in London. X: @ayeshaijazkhan