The devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, has once again landed India and Pakistan on opposite sides.
The suspension of the Indus Water Treaty was already a big step, taken for the first time in almost 30 years. This showed how serious India is regarding the attacks and the threat to its security and sovereignty.
The Indian government also cancelled the visas given to Pakistani nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), giving them 48 hours to leave the country.
So far, reports claim that around 537 Pakistani nationals have left India through the Attari border. As per Arun Pal, a protocol officer at the Attari Border, around 850 Indian nationals have returned from the other side.
Pakistan retaliated by suspending the Simla Agreement of 1972 and closing the airspace for Indian airlines.
The Indian government, for its part, has vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable and take serious action against them. However, experts have varied outlooks on what India can do without actually going out into a full war against Pakistan.
Some suggest taking a measured approach, emphasizing diplomatic, strategic, and covert measures, while others believe in taking stringent measures that show Pakistan that India will not take this attack lightly, such as what was done with the water treaty.
What Are Experts Saying?
Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd), former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command, spoke about India’s options in an interview with The Indian Express.
He said, “You have standoff weapons where you don’t necessarily need to cross over very deep into Pakistani airspace to carry out strikes. In fact, some targets can be taken down even from your side of the LoC. There is the use of attack drones that can be made. There are different options. At this stage, the government has taken some strong steps, particularly regarding the Indus Water Treaty, but I wouldn’t completely rule out the military option.”
Nitin Gokhale, a national security analyst speaking with Reddif’s Syed Firdaus Ashraf, also believes that the actions the Indian government has taken so far are good, but stressed at the same time not to escalate this too much.
The author of books like Security India The Modi Way, and 1965, Turning The Tide, said, “It is a good first step. I believe that a greater response is called for and that too a well-considered deliberate response is the need of the hour. We should wait. The government is also aware of the anger and anguish that people have. They themselves don’t like what has happened because they have worked very hard to prevent something like this from happening. Yet it has happened and there will be consequences for Pakistan to suffer. The suspension of Indus Water Treaty has never happened. This will hurt Pakistan’s fragile economy and will lead to a rise in anger against the Pakistan army in Pakistan. So this first step is a good step. The government has also annulled the post of defence attaché in New Delhi and it is presumed they can never come back. This is a very major message in international diplomacy.”
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Gokhale also stressed that India can very well take some kind of action against Pakistan, especially in the current situation when it also has international backing and sympathy.
He said, “India is in a stronger position internationally and it cannot take too long to take action. Now, it could be covert action which is deniable, or demonstrative action, or a combination of the two. But happen it will, as I said.”
He also stated that “India this time will look into hurting the Pakistani army’s interest. It could be their commercial interest, tactical or strategic interest or one of their leaders. Just go for it.”
Ajai Sahni, a founding member and executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal, stated in an Indian Express article that although retaliation is fine and expected, it “must be within a strategic framework.”
According to Sahni, while surgical strikes might be “theatrical events,” however, they “could be exploited for partisan political purposes,” and have “dubious operational or strategic consequences.”
Instead of that, Sahni suggested that “covert retaliation has the largest potential for impact, without the risks of sliding down the slippery slope to unforeseen escalation.”
But for these covert actions to succeed, the decisions must be made in a calm and calculated manner, keeping aside thoughts of revenge or how to gain “domestic political advantage.”
Retired Lt General HS Panag also echoed this thought, asking the government not to bend to public sentiment. In an article for The Print, Panag wrote, “A charged up nation fed on neo nationalism is baying for blood. However, the government must not let public sentiment force a hasty decision.”
He also suggests that instead of “retributory surgical strikes,” India should try to push back the LoC by 10-15km.
He wrote, “In 10 days, the LoC can be pushed back 10–15 km to threaten strategic objectives… This option would force Pakistan to sue for peace as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor would come under threat.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Indian Express, Livemint, The Economic Times
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