India-Pakistan Conflict: Operation Sindoor and the Illusion of Peace
India started Operation Sindoor on May 7 to target terrorist hideouts in Pakistan, but it has since been put on hold. This tranquility is a lie. The war is far from done, but the battle remains paused for the time being. It is but a blip in a lengthy struggle, neither the first nor the last of its kind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has angered those who are unfamiliar with the history of the Subcontinent since he put an end to the continuous conflict without permanently repairing Pakistan or regaining the PoK. They leave out the fact that Kashmir, geography, and borders are not at the heart of the India-Pakistan conflict. The goal is to preserve the nation’s distinctive attributes.
Is there an accord that will resolve India and Pakistan’s differences? It’s time to think about why all of these initiatives have failed. Irrespective of the governments in power in Delhi and Islamabad, the two nations have seldom been friendly, peaceful neighbors. Pakistan sees itself as the Islamic invaders. Pakistan’s heroes include historical personalities like Ahmad Shah Abdali, Muhammad Ghori, Aurangzeb, and Mahmud of Ghazni, who destroyed Indian cultural icons out of religious fervor. It is clear why some of these individuals are named after Pakistani missiles. On the other hand, Indian missiles are named after natural elements, such as Prithvi, Akash, Agni, etc.
India-Pakistan Conflict: The Influence of Religious Identity on Pakistan’s Military Doctrine
Pakistan feels that it is the nation’s divine role to accomplish the “divine” objective of “Ghazwa-e-Hind”—that is, to establish an Islamic state on the Subcontinent, a task that its ancient ancestors failed to do. Asim Munir, the chief of the Pakistan Army, reaffirmed the two-nation theory on April 16 and made that point clear. Beyond religious convictions, Lt Gen. Ahmed Sharif, the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, stated on May 11 that Islam was taught in the Pakistani army. We are guided by iman, taqwa, and jihad fi sabilillah (faith, piety, and battle in God’s name), he continued. Under General Zia-ul-Haq, the Pakistani army’s slogan was modified from Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s “Ittehad, yaqeen, tanzeem” (unity, faith, discipline).
After Jinnah’s death, Pakistan defined its goals and identity. In March 1949, the Constituent Assembly, led by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, adopted the Objective Resolution, which stated that “God Almighty alone has sovereignty over the entire universe, and the authority which He has delegated to the state of Pakistan… is a sacred trust.” The 1956, 1962, and 1973 constitutions all incorporated the Objective Resolution as a preface.
Pakistan’s overt and covert involvement in terrorist attacks over the past forty years, its threats during the 1965 war that it would fight India for the next “thousand years” at the UN, its strategy of inflicting “a thousand cuts” on India following the 1971 defeat, its attempt to occupy Siachen in 1984, its betrayal in Kargil in 1999 following a peace initiative, and other actions all contribute to a conflict that stems from fundamental differences in the two countries’ personalities.
The First Terrorist Invasion: October 22, 1947
26 people were shot dead in Pahalgam by terrorists backed by Pakistan, triggering the most recent flare-up. Less than three months after its founding, on October 22, 1947, Pakistan launched its first terrorist campaign on India in Kashmir. Its army, collaborating with Islamic tribal militias, moved on Srinagar while raping, killing, and pillaging the indigenous populace. After seventy-eight years, Pakistan has not seen any change. It continues to fight using outdated, immoral methods in the same area. Pakistan continues to follow the same old route of hatred and discrimination.
In the intervening period, the two nations’ terms of engagement have evolved. When Prime Minister Modi said, “Talks and terror cannot coexist… Trade and terror are antithetical. “Water and blood cannot flow together,” he said, outlining Operation Sindoor’s goal and defining the course of India-Pakistan ties going forward.
Will this be the end of terrorism sponsored by Pakistan? Not very soon. With forceful military action, India divided a civil war-torn Pakistan in 1971 and made it easier for Bangladesh to be established. Pakistan kept from changing its anti-Indian stance despite facing such a high price.
There are limits to war. Most victories are hollow. The House of Lords member Rabbi Jonathan Sacks was correct when he stated that “ideas win peace, but weapons win wars.” India is engaged in a battle of ideas. “There’s no quick fix here,” the rabbi added another time. Radicals don’t become moderates overnight. A generation needs to be educated. Yes, this is a difficult task.
Pakistan’s Internal Contradictions and Their Impact
No historical, geographical, or natural process gave rise to Pakistan. It was created by a group of Indian Muslims with British assistance. Its unease is made worse by its wide range of contradictions. There are internal conflicts among its many hostile Islamic sects. Desperate to secede, several of its regions are suffering.
In light of this, the Pakistani elite will be constantly reminded of the high cost of aiding terrorism by India’s new zero-tolerance stance. A portion of the Pakistani establishment will eventually have to realize that supporting terrorism is a costly and self-destructive endeavor.
In the meantime, India will need to be cautious to maintain pressure on Pakistan. The only effective deterrence against terrorism is the fear of merciless retaliation. The statement made by America’s 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, “We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it,” strikes a profound chord in this situation.
Based on “Operation Sindoor — Pakistan’s price for bigotry,” published in The Indian Express on May 15, 2025, this article highlights that the authorities in Pakistan will have to acknowledge that supporting terrorism is a costly and disastrous endeavor.