Whole World Loses If India-Pakistan Go To War

Reports suggest that the assailants questioned victims before executing them-implying time, control and confidence. This was not a failure from across the border; this was a breakdown from within.

And still, the dominant reaction was externalization. Pakistani culpability was asserted before forensic evidence could surface, echoing India's 2019 Pulwama response.

Once again, the question of accountability for internal security lapses has been buried beneath patriotic fervor and media amplification. The risk of further escalation through miscalculation or retaliatory strikes remains high, yet critical introspection is apparently politically inconvenient in Delhi.

Washington has responded with caution. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly spoken with both capitals, and President Trump expressed hope that the situation“ends very quickly.”

But passive diplomacy is not a strategy. This crisis demands more than moral balancing-it demands active engagement to avert a spiral between two nuclear powers. Behind-the-scenes efforts by the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and China should complement the US's public involvement to avoid another prolonged and disastrous confrontation in the region.

The consequences of escalation extend beyond India and Pakistan. The conflict has the potential to paralyze much of South Asia, putting smaller nations in untenable positions.

Bangladesh, still adjusting to a tumultuous political transition, is grappling with rising anti-India sentiment. In Sri Lanka and the Maldives, communal tensions could flare if the Kashmir conflict takes on a religious tone.

Nepal's careful balancing act between India and China is under new strain, and Bhutan fears that any Indian distraction may trigger heightened Chinese pressure. For these countries, Kashmir is more than a flashpoint-it's a reminder of how quickly regional equilibrium can unravel when diplomacy gives way to confrontation.

However, this is not just a South Asian problem-it is a global one. A long-term standoff would also act to undermine Washington's Indo-Pacific ambitions , namely counterbalancing China's rising influence, including in South Asia.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect is the enduring marginalization of the Kashmiris themselves. In the rush to strike, retaliate and dominate the narrative, the voices of those most affected have, as always, been excluded.