{"id":46611,"date":"2025-05-10T06:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T01:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=46611"},"modified":"2025-05-17T23:55:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T18:25:18","slug":"new-normal-in-india-pakistan-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/new-normal-in-india-pakistan-ties\/","title":{"rendered":"A New Normal in India-Pakistan Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A Doctrinal Shift in India\u2019s Security Strategy Latest News<\/li>\n<li>Background &#8211; Genesis of the \u2018Thousand Cuts\u2019 Doctrine<\/li>\n<li>Implementation of the Doctrine<\/li>\n<li>Recent Flashpoint &#8211; Pahalgam Massacre (2025)<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s Strategic Posture Before 2016<\/li>\n<li>Doctrinal Shift &#8211; Post-Uri and Beyond<\/li>\n<li>Operation Sindoon (2025), Pakistan\u2019s Response and Escalation Risks<\/li>\n<li>Strategic Implications and the \u2018New Normal\u2019<\/li>\n<li>Key Challenges and Outlook<\/li>\n<li>Conclusion<\/li>\n<li>A Doctrinal Shift in India\u2019s Security Strategy FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>A Doctrinal Shift in India\u2019s Security Strategy Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India and Pakistan have shared <strong>a history of conflict since partition<\/strong>, with <strong>Pakistan <\/strong>adopting a strategy of <strong>proxy warfare<\/strong> to challenge India\u2019s territorial integrity, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The evolution of <strong>Pakistan\u2019s &#8216;Thousand Cuts&#8217; doctrine<\/strong> and <strong>India\u2019s calibrated responses<\/strong> have shaped a volatile and high-stakes security environment in South Asia.<\/li>\n<li>However, a doctrinal shift in India&#8217;s security strategy (after 2016) has established<strong> a new normal<\/strong>, one where it directly targets terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan in response to attacks.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background &#8211; Genesis of the \u2018Thousand Cuts\u2019 Doctrine<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bhutto\u2019s 1965 UN speech and legacy:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Zulfikar Ali Bhutto\u2019s declaration at the UN Security Council in 1965: &#8220;<strong>Will wage war for 1,000 years<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/li>\n<li>This sentiment laid the <strong>ideological foundation<\/strong> for Pakistan\u2019s long-term hostile posture toward India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zia-ul-Haq and the strategic shift:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>General Zia-ul-Haq institutionalized Bhutto\u2019s rhetoric into the \u2018<strong>Bleed India Through a Thousand Cuts<\/strong>\u2019 doctrine.<\/li>\n<li>Focus shifted to <strong>sub-conventional and proxy warfare<\/strong>, especially through <strong>militancy and infiltration.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Implementation of the Doctrine<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lessons from Afghanistan:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Post-Soviet withdrawal <\/strong>from Afghanistan (1989) inspired Pakistan.<\/li>\n<li><strong>US and Saudi-backed mujahideen<\/strong> became a template for low-cost insurgency warfare.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Escalation in Kashmir and beyond:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1989:<\/strong> Surge in Kashmir militancy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expansion to other Indian cities:<\/strong> 2001 Parliament attack, 2008 Mumbai attacks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional support:<\/strong> Rise of terror groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with alleged support from<strong> Pakistan\u2019s security establishment<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Recent Flashpoint &#8211; Pahalgam Massacre (2025)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>April 22, 2025:<\/strong> 26 civilians brutally gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam (J&amp;K).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>This was the latest sign that the \u2018Thousand Cuts\u2019 doctrine remains alive in Rawalpindi\u2019s strategic thinking.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The attack came days after <\/strong>Pakistan\u2019s military chief Gen. Asim Munir said \u201c<strong>Kashmir is our jugular vein<\/strong>\u201d.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Resistance Front<\/strong> (a front of LeT), initially claimed responsibility for the attack, but later denied any role.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>India\u2019s Strategic Posture Before 2016<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Traditional Indian response:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Diplomatic isolation of Pakistan.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic pressure<\/strong> (e.g., Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey-listing).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reluctance for military retaliation<\/strong> due to:\n<ul>\n<li>Nuclear deterrence<\/li>\n<li>International pressure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited impact: <\/strong>Pakistan continued proxy war with low cost and high strategic gain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Doctrinal Shift &#8211; Post-Uri and Beyond<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Surgical strikes (2016):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Following the JeM attack at the Indian Army Brigade headquarters in Uri (J&amp;K), which killed 19 soldiers, India conducted <strong>a cross-border operation targeting terror launchpads and safe houses <\/strong>in PoK.<\/li>\n<li>This was <strong>India\u2019s first direct cross-border operation in PoK <\/strong>targeting terror infrastructure across the Line of Control in response to attacks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Balakot airstrike (2019):<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Retaliation for the deadly suicide bombing in Pulwama.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Strikes extended into <strong>Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<\/strong>, Pakistan (not limited to PoK).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This strategic shift <strong>did not immediately establish a strong deterrent<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>For example,<\/strong> the Uri response did not prevent the deadly suicide bombing in Pulwama.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Similarly, the <strong>Balakot <\/strong>airstrike that followed Pulwama<strong> did not deter the attack on civilians in Pahalgam.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Operation Sindoon (2025), Pakistan\u2019s Response and Escalation Risks<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Operation Sindoor (2025): <\/strong>In a response to the Pahalgam massacre, India <strong>struck 9 locations<\/strong>, including Pakistan\u2019s heartland <strong>Bahawalpur and Muridke<\/strong> in Punjab, marking its <strong>largest aerial operation on Pakistani soil since 1971.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Escalation post-Balakot:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Pakistan responded with aerial dogfight.<\/li>\n<li>An Indian pilot was captured and later returned.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Operation Sindoor fallout:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pakistan chose to escalate<\/strong> by targeting military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur with drones and missiles, which were \u201c<strong>swiftly neutralised<\/strong>\u201d.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>India launched its counterattacks<\/strong> in the same domain and same intensity as Pakistan.<\/li>\n<li><strong>In essence<\/strong>, the killing of 26 Indians in Pahalgam by terrorists has brought India and Pakistan <strong>dangerously close to the brink of an all-out war<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Strategic Implications and the \u2018New Normal\u2019<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>India\u2019s new posture:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Emphasis on military retaliation<\/strong> alongside diplomatic and economic tools.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sends a clear signal <\/strong>that sub-conventional war under nuclear cover is no longer tolerable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Changing rules of engagement:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s doctrine now includes <strong>cross-border operations<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Raised costs for Pakistan\u2019s continued proxy war<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Challenges and Outlook<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Risks of escalation:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Every terror attack may now demand a military response from India, <strong>raising stakes.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Future governments may face <strong>domestic pressure to retaliate forcefully.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pakistan\u2019s strategic dilemma:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Domestic instability:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Islamist militancy,<\/li>\n<li>Baloch insurgency,<\/li>\n<li>Political crisis,<\/li>\n<li>Economic dependence on the IMF.<\/li>\n<li>Raises doubts about <strong>Pakistan&#8217;s capacity to sustain long-term hostility.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India\u2019s post-2016 doctrinal shift <strong>signals its resolve to respond militarily to terrorism<\/strong> emanating from Pakistani soil, <strong>redefining the terms of engagement<\/strong> between the two <strong>nuclear-armed neighbors<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>While this strategic assertiveness aims to deter proxy war, it also increases the <strong>risks of escalation<\/strong>,<strong> demanding careful long-term calibration and diplomatic balancing<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>A Doctrinal Shift in India\u2019s Security Strategy FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What is the &#8216;Thousand Cuts&#8217; doctrine and how has it influenced Pakistan&#8217;s strategic approach toward India?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>The \u2018Thousand Cuts\u2019 doctrine is Pakistan\u2019s strategy of using low-intensity, proxy warfare\u2014including cross-border terrorism\u2014to weaken India without engaging in full-scale war.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong> How did the 2016 Uri attack mark a doctrinal shift in India&#8217;s counter-terrorism strategy?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Post-Uri, India shifted from a defensive diplomatic stance to a proactive strategy involving direct military retaliation through cross-border surgical strikes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong> Explain the significance of the 2019 Balakot airstrike in the context of India-Pakistan relations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans. <\/strong>The Balakot strike marked India\u2019s expansion of military response beyond PoK into mainland Pakistan, signaling a new normal in India\u2019s counter-terror doctrine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4. <\/strong>What are the risks associated with India\u2019s evolving military response to Pakistan-based terrorism?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> The new strategy increases the risk of rapid escalation into conventional war, especially given the nuclear capabilities of both nations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong> Why is Pakistan\u2019s capacity to continue its long-term proxy war against India being questioned in recent years?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Pakistan faces internal instability, economic crisis, and multiple insurgencies, making it increasingly difficult to sustain its &#8216;Thousand Cuts&#8217; campaign.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/a-new-normal-in-india-pakistan-ties\/article69557361.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Post-2016, India\u2019s security doctrine shifted to a new normal\u2014targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as a direct response to cross-border attacks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-46611","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46611"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46611\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}