PAKISTAN MUST FIND ITS CALIBRATED RESPONSE
There is no question that Pakistan will respond to India’s strikes with some form of military action. It will, however, need to calibrate this in a manner that does not escalate tensions beyond a point.
Such rhetoric and action should, however, be seen as attempts to raise the ante to a point that other countries pressure India to taper its response and re-evaluate its position on the sharing of river waters.
It is also worth noting that tensions with India and the strikes have led to a burgeoning of support for the military across Pakistan. The military, which plays a major role in the politics of the country, had been confronted by mass protests and opposition over the past few years for meddling in the political process.
The current crisis has abated these protests. Thus, while the military will need to display its ability to respond to attacks, it will be conscious of not jeopardising its newfound support by escalating military tensions beyond a point that the public can bear.
