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First Post
07-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistan's post-Op Sindoor frenzy and the global myopia
The myopic world ignores the threat until it becomes a victim, revealing its hypocrisy. India must stay the course on its 'Ekla Chalo Re' path, as outlined in its 'New Normal' policy toward Pakistan read more Post-Pahalgam, grey-zone warfare has been on full display, as Islamabad and Rawalpindi peddled fake narratives and carefully crafted a facade of innocence—attempting to mislead the world, especially the gullible Western audience—in the wake of heinous terrorist attacks and the killing of innocent tourists in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistan-based terrorist group, 'The Resistance Front (TRF),' an offshoot of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Their staunch allies—China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, among others—not only knowingly accepted these narratives but also actively helped legitimise and spread Pakistan's disinformation campaign, while fully backing Islamabad on the ground. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prominent Western media outlets, which have mostly been preferential in their approaches against India under the influence of lobbyists and the fact that India is a big independent power, lapped up the Pakistani narratives without fact-checking or the history of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a global sponsor of terrorism. Islamabad and its Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)—the military arm of disinformation—have learnt a great deal from their Chinese benefactors, who are masters in the art of lying, as the China-Pakistan axis plays this match in concert. As India embarked on a diplomatic offensive by sending several teams of cross-party Parliamentarians to important capitals to explain India's 'Operation Sindoor', which was a response to terror attacks and was against terrorists and their sponsors, Islamabad also embarked on a close chase of Indian footprints to counter the Indian stance through fabricated and feeble arguments, completely obfuscating the terrorism angle. But then geopolitics loves these slinging matches as the global majors try to play referee. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his colleagues have been meeting mostly with the Islamic world leaders, trying to garner their sympathy. The same Pakistanis tried at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Jakarta, which was deflected by the Indonesians and Bahrainis, among others. But then some of their friends, like Turkey and Azerbaijan, threw their hats in the ring along with Rawalpindi. Further, the out-of-protocol visit by the so-called Field Marshal Asim Munir to meet and have lunch with President Donald Trump at the White House aced their effort. Apart from these bilateral outreaches, what is noticeable is their onslaught at the plurilateral groupings. One significant move has been a meeting in South Asia between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and a proposed attempt to create an alternate grouping to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) while keeping India out. They are looking to include even Myanmar. China has been very keen to join the Saarc in some ways, but that has stayed dormant due to Indian indifference. As such, Saarc's energy has been exhausted in dealing with India-Pakistan contestation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India in the interim tried to create sub-regional groupings like Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec), which might also come under stress given the anti-India posturing by the current Bangladesh regime. India will have to be watchful of these developments and create innovative ways to keep the flock together. This will be a test for our Neighbourhood First and Act East policies, whose contours will have to be redefined. Yet another platform that Pakistan used, apart from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), to justify it being a victim of Indian diplomatic and military aggression—completely denying the causal connection with terrorism—is the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), whose 17th Summit was held in Khan Kendi, Azerbaijan, recently. It was set up in 1985 (the same year that Saarc was established) in Tehran by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. Over time its membership in the Eurasian context increased to ten members, including Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In its earlier avatar, it was known as the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), established in 1964, and later mutated into ECO. The ECO aims to enhance trade and investment opportunities, improve regional connectivity, and foster sustainable development among its members. Composed of some Caucasus, South, West, and Central Asian countries, ECO is one of the oldest intergovernmental organisations and provides Turkey especially a robust outreach tool with a Turkic identity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was a perfect and pliable platform for complicity for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to vent out his tirade, spewing the same venom, accusing India, and trying to prove his innocence while comparing Gaza, Iran, and Kashmir in the same vein. This is in stark contrast to their own multiple admissions of being the haven and factories of mercenaries and terrorists. On display was the fine bonhomie between Ilham Aliyev, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Sharif, blindly supporting each other through thick and thin. Sharif cried himself hoarse while thanking his ECO partner for their support in the wake of what he described as Indian aggression, stating, 'The unprovoked and reckless Indian hostility directed towards Pakistan after an unfortunate incident in Jammu and Kashmir was yet another attempt to destabilise regional peace.' Lies have no legs and no limits, even as they may have some entertainment value, but in serious issues and global challenges like terrorism, this tends to compound and bolster the courage of the perpetrators and immunity to terror groups and their benefactors. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In fact, in the run-up to and during Operation Sindoor, several Pakistani leaders exposed themselves and their deep state by accepting to have been complicit and a crucible for creating and sustaining various terror groups, including the Taliban and shades of Al Qaeda. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif admitted on Sky News that Pakistanis have been doing the dirty work for the West for about three decades. Only recently, their former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto exhorted, 'I don't think that it's a secret that Pakistan has a past as far as extremist groups are concerned.' It has been part of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list several times and could be on the verge of being listed again. And this is something the myopic world refuses to acknowledge and take action against until they become the victims themselves, displaying their hypocrisy and double standards. Hence, India will have to continue on the 'Ekla Chalo Re' path, which is well enshrined in its 'New Normal' policy in the context of zero tolerance to terrorism and the dynamic of 'Op Sindoor'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is the former Indian Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta and is currently a Distinguished Fellow with Vivekananda International Foundation. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Business Recorder
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India threatening South Asia's stability
EDITORIAL: As part of Pakistan's diplomatic outreach to the international community in the aftermath of last month's four-day military standoff with India, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visiting London at the head of a delegation gave a briefing to a meeting of cross-party British parliamentarians. There he highlighted India's attack on civilian population, violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and holding in abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty in contravention of international law and modern rules-based system. Bilawal also explained that 'India had levelled serious accusations [of backing the Pahalgam terrorist attack] without any credible investigation or verifiable evidence,' and that these actions are not just irresponsible, but pose serious risks to peace and stability in South Asia and beyond. Pakistan has rightly been arguing that if India has evidence of its involvement in the Pahalgam atrocity, it should allow an independent investigation so as to establish the truth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a habit of using accusation of cross-border terrorism as a political tool during times of internal pressure or upcoming elections — in Behar come October. Assaults on Pakistan, rhetorical or real, are projected by him as demonstrations of strength for rallying his Hindutva support base. Extremely troubling, however, is what followed last month's incident: missile and drone attacks on alleged 'terrorist sanctuaries' inside Pakistan in blatant violation of this country's sovereignty and international law. With hubris getting the better of them, PM Modi declared the strikes as the 'New Normal', i.e., a right to fire missiles into Pakistan in the event of any act of terrorism; meanwhile, his External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that Pakistan was informed about the strikes before the start of 'Operation Sindoor', arrogantly assuming there would be no reaction. Pakistan's quick retaliatory response delivered extensive military losses, acknowledged by many independent defence analysts. The two nuclear-armed neighbours were on the brink of a full-fledged war when US President Donald Trump helped mediate a ceasefire. According to Modi, though, it is only a 'pause'. Escalatory rhetoric and actions benefit no one. Consequences of any miscalculation between the two nuclear states are unthinkable. India's attempts to unilaterally alter regional dynamics through unsubstantiated accusations and aggressive military posturing should be a matter of concern to the international community. What is needed is normalisation of dialogue rather than normalisation of aggression, and a commitment to peaceful coexistence. Pakistan, for its part, has consistently expressed willingness to engage in dialogue and address all outstanding issues of dispute, including terrorism, water, and of course Kashmir — the root cause of three of the four wars between them. The cycle of provocation and retaliation must give way to dialogue and conflict resolution in the greater interest of peace and stability in South Asia. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Arabian Post
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Dialogue, Dialogue And Only Dialogue Can Teach Pakistan Right Lessons
By Nitya Chakraborty More than a month after the pause of India's Operation Sindoor on May 10 at 5 PM, time has come to state it in candid terms that our Prime Minister's doctrine of New Normal in respect of relations with Pakistan has failed to convince the major global powers. While strongly defending India in its fight against the terror inspired by Islamabad, the major countries are in favour of bilateral talks to discuss the thorny issues including terror which led to the four day limited war. The seven all party parliamentary delegations which visited more than 30 countries are back after their interactions with the government leaders, parliament members and Indian diaspora. Officially, they might have expressed their opinion about getting big response to the Indian stand on fighting terror, but they are equally mum on the response they got on the two important components of new Modi doctrine- no dialogue with Pakistan at this stage and any terrorist action inside India will be followed by Indian attack on Pakistan. South Block has organized post visit favourable propaganda by the participants, but the hard ground reality is that the Pakistan delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made far more impact during their discussions in United Nations headquarters, with U.S. Government officials as also in London at the meeting with the British think tanks as also Parliamentarians. Indian delegation led by Shashi Tharoor of impeccable diplomatic skills was in Washington and New York at the same time with Bilawal. Tharoor had a meeting with the US vice president J D Vance, but the Congress MP did not give any details of what Vance said about the present situation in India-Pak relations and how to go about it. In fact Vance was the person who spoke to the Indian Prime Minister on May 9 on behalf of President Trump and conveyed the strong message of the U.S. President. Only PM Modi can come out with the details of May 9 talks with Vance to prove that Trump was wrong in claiming that he organized the 'full and permanent' ceasefire which Narendra Modi termed as pause. That Shashi Tharoor's efforts to market the Prime Minister's doctrine to the Oval office and the White House was a flop is evident from the fact that the commander of the US central command General Michael Kurilla described Pakistan as a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world crediting Islamabad with a series of successful operations against ISIS-Khorasan and advocating for continued US engagement with Pakistan and India. Just imagine the tenor of the speech of this General. This is putting Pakistan above India as a partner in the fight against terror. That is also at a time when India is complaining that Pakistan regime is still backing the terrorists to operate in the Indian soil. General Kurilla also referred to the heavy toll that terrorism has taken on Pakistan itself, noting that in the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security personnel and civilians apart from 2500 wounded. He also highly praised the present Field Marshall and Chief of Staff Asim Munir who, Indians say, played a key role in attacks on India by Pak backed terrorists. General Kurilla's is the latest official version of the Trump administration on the current state of India-Pakistan relations. This US position India has to swallow as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshaped his foreign policy after coming to power in 2014 and it took a sharper turn during the first term of Donald Trump. Now, where is the escape route? How is the Indian PM going to deal with his dear friend Donald if they happen to meet in Alberta, Canada during G-7 summit beginning June 15. It is not a coincidence that the same day General Kurilla was testifying in Washington, Bilawal Bhutto was addressing a meeting of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and talked about the same issue about terrorist attacks in Pakistan mentioned by the US general. 'The delegation I lead has been given a mission of peace,' he declared at IISS. 'We are advocating to the international community to play their role in encouraging a dialogue, a comprehensive dialogue between India and Pakistan, where Pakistan is ready to talk about all issues.' He explained, 'As it stands today, if there's a terrorist attack anywhere in India, proof or no proof, we go to war. That is the de facto position of the new abnormal that India is trying to impose on the region. The equivalence would mean that if there's a terrorist attack in Pakistan, we have to go to war with India. That is a very untenable situation to be in.' He went on to say that Narendra Modi's new doctrine is 'lowering the threshold for conflict, a potentially nuclear armed conflict'. He suggested the issues between the two nations can 'only be solved by dialogue'. Pakistan leaders including Bilawal Bhutto can not be trusted on the basis of what they say. But in international politics and diplomacy, dialogue and negotiations are the buzzword for bringing two contending sides to the negotiating table. Narendra Modi himself told President Putin relating to Ukraine war that this was not the time for war. He was speaking the truth. US secretary Marco Rubio has told the Pakistani side that the U.S. will persuade India to participate in bilateral talks in a neutral venue. He must have told that to Indian external affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also. China and Russian leaders are also suggesting bilateral talks. India should on its own agree to the dialogue with Pakistan rather than be persuaded by others like the U.S. to take part. India has nothing to lose by agreeing to bilateral talks. The Indian delegation may forcefully demand the actions which it wanted to be taken by the Pak government. India can send that list and proposed actions to the US and other countries. India is better placed militarily and morally. Why then give advantage to Islamabad to project itself as a seeker of dialogue and peace? India can be a darling of global diplomatic community again if it seizes this opportunity. (IPA Service)
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Yogi lauds PM: ‘Transformed service into pledge, governance into culture & security a priority'
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi has given India a global identity and the last 11 years have transformed service into a pledge, governance into a culture, and security into a priority, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in Lucknow on Tuesday. Adityanath was addressing a press conference on the 11th anniversary of the Modi-led government at the Centre. The CM also congratulated the Prime Minister on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government and presented the Centre's report card, highlighting good governance and welfare initiatives for the poor. The Chief Minister claimed that in the first 65 years after Independence, Congress-led and 'unstable' governments broke the people's trust and damaged India's global image. In contrast, the past 11 years under Prime Minister Modi have given the country a corruption-free, nepotism-free, and appeasement-free leadership, he said. The CM said that before 2014, India was seen as a nation that spoke of peace, even in the face of provocation. But under PM Modi, a new doctrine — the 'New Normal' — has emerged: while India prefers peaceful development with like-minded nations, any breach of security or promotion of terrorism would be met with decisive action such as surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor. The CM also praised the abrogation of Article 370, saying it brought Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh fully into the constitutional fold. He said the Modi government has empowered women through various schemes. For the first time, girls were admitted to Sainik Schools and women were recruited into the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, Maharashtra. Adityanath said that before 2014, India remained the world's 11th largest economy. However, under PM Modi's leadership over the past 11 years, India has risen to become the fourth largest economy, surpassing Britain and now overtaking Japan. He added that India is the only major economy to have doubled in size within a decade and is the first country to more than double its per capita income — from Rs 79,000 in 2013–14 to around Rs 2.5 lakh today. With this momentum, India is on track to become the world's third-largest economy by 2027. He said that under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, 81 crore people nationwide — including 15 crore in Uttar Pradesh — receive 5 kg of free food grains every month. He added that while Congress governments built only one AIIMS, Atal Bihari Vajpayee added six, and Prime Minister Modi expanded the number to 23—including two in Uttar Pradesh (Gorakhpur and Rae Bareli). He added that till 2014, India had just 180 medical colleges; today, there are 2,045 medical colleges nationwide, with 80 in Uttar Pradesh alone. MBBS seats have increased from 51,348 to 1.18 lakh, and PG seats from 13,246 to over 74,000. Adityanath said that the coordination of faith and economy has created a new model of development, with spiritual heritage becoming a catalyst for economic growth. He cited the example of the Maha Kumbh, where five new economic corridors emerged, boosting employment and regional economies. The CM mentioned about Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Vindhyavasini Dham, Naimish Dham, Shuk Tirtha, Mathura-Vrindavan, Chitrakoot — all in Uttar Pradesh. Nationally, Yogi mentioned Mahakal Mahalok, Kedarpuri, and Badrinath Dham redeveloped with modern amenities, enhancing religious tourism. An exhibition was also organised at the BJP State Office to mark the completion of 11 years of PM Modi's tenure. There were displays highlighting key schemes launched by the Central Government over the past 11 years and their achievements, including Operation Sindoor, appreciating its significance and timely execution.
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Presented India's anti-terrorism message firmly in global fora: BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi
BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar MP and BJP national spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi was given a rousing reception on her return to the city after a five-nation tour as part of an all-party delegation to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism, on Saturday. Flanked by hundreds of supporters, Sarangi, upon her arrival said the delegation had a clear mandate from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assert India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and explain the strategic shift in the country's security doctrine. 'In our interactions, we made it clear that neither we will forget the massacre of the innocents in Pahalgam by terrorists nor forgive those involved in it,' Sarangi said. The MP also said that India's strikes during Operation Sindoor were precise, measured and non-escalatory in nature. India now operates under a 'New Normal' of zero tolerance and immediate response, she said. Sarangi also dismissed Opposition's call for a special session of Parliament to discuss Operation Sindoor. 'There is no need for a special session of Parliament as the delegations that went around the world had members from all political parties,' she said. Her team had MPs from five different parties including TMC, Congress, CPM and JDU.
