Letter To Editor: The Global Balance Shifted After The Pahalgam Attack

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
File photo of Pahalgam attack site

Something changed after the Baisaran bloodbath. Not just the usual outrage or mourning. Something deeper.

The April 22 assault that killed 26 civilians in Kashmir didn't just spark another round of tension between India and Pakistan, it exposed the cracks in a decades-old global arrangement.

India didn't wait this time. It acted fast, yes, but more importantly, it acted differently.

Pulling out of the Indus Waters Treaty wasn't just about water, it was about leverage. That river system sustains millions in Pakistan. Taking control of it wasn't only a warning. It was a message: we're done playing by the old rules.

The bigger message, though, wasn't for Pakistan. It was for Washington.

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The United States condemned the attack, as expected. It called for calm. But that was the problem. India didn't want balance, it wanted clarity.

When a country loses civilians to what it says is cross-border terrorism, it doesn't want“both sides” language. It wants the world to say what it sees. Instead, India got cautious statements, cold nudges, and business-as-usual diplomacy.

It's not that the U.S. doesn't value India. It does. The defense deals, tech ties, and shared concerns about China show that. But America still has a foot in both camps.

Pakistan, for all its troubles, remains part of the U.S. security equation, especially in the post-Afghanistan chessboard. So, Washington hedges. It stays friendly with both, even when one side feels wronged.

For India, that balancing act is starting to wear thin. Especially when the costs of restraint are so high.

And so, India is doing what rising powers do: it's widening its circle.

Stronger defense deals with France. More energy talks with the UAE. And warmer signals from Russia.

It's not abandonment of old partners. It's diversification. Because in moments like this, dependence feels like a risk.

Pakistan, meanwhile, is facing its own reckoning. Its appeals to the United Nations didn't gain traction. Its usual backers-China, Turkey-stood by, but others stayed silent. Even Muslim-majority nations like Saudi Arabia called for calm instead of taking sides. That silence speaks volumes. Sympathy is thinning.

Water, airspace, cyberspace- each front has opened up in this conflict. But the real story isn't any single battle. It's the shifting landscape of alliances, of expectations, of what countries will do when pushed.

Pahalgam wasn't just a tragedy. It was a turning point. And now, everyone's watching what comes next. But no one's sure who they'll be standing with when it does.

Sincerely,

Er Ishfaq Khaliq

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