Written By Areeba Hareem India fooled itself into thinking that, as an "emerging superpower," it could act with impunity. It thoug...
Written By Areeba Hareem
India fooled itself into thinking that, as an "emerging superpower," it could act with impunity. It thought its economic rise would provide immunity. It mistook Pakistan’s political problems, economic struggles, and internal conflicts as signs of weakness. But when you're blinded by bias and overconfidence, and addicted to your own propaganda, your calculations turn into fantasies, and fantasies, when shattered, sting the most.
The latest military flare-up between India and Pakistan may have officially begun with New Delhi pointing fingers at Islamabad after the tragic attack on foreign tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. But anyone with an ounce of historical literacy knows this wasn’t the start of a conflict, it was just the latest chapter in a decades-long obsession rooted in political opportunism, ideological delusion, and outright strategic miscalculations.
In India, particularly under the Bharatiya Janata Party and
its theatrical figurehead Narendra Modi, the political script has always read
the same: start with Pakistan as the villain, escalate the talk, and rally
nationalist passion to win elections. It's a tired formula but one that’s been
politically useful in India. Modi’s election strategy thrives on making
Pakistan the enemy. Accusations of terrorism, threats of military strikes,
dreams of erasing borders, all served with a generous helping of Bollywood
rewriting of history. But in 2025, the fantasy met a hard, unforgiving reality.
And it was Pakistan that held the mirror.
Following the Pahalgam attack, for which no credible
evidence has yet been provided to link it to Pakistan, India launched an
unprovoked deep strike into Pakistani territory on May 7, targeting what it
claimed were “non-state actors.” The irony? At that very moment, Pakistani
officials were escorting international journalists to the exact sites India
would later bomb, place of worship, public schools, and civilian
infrastructure. Not terrorist hideouts, but sanctuaries. Yet within 15 minutes
of the attack, the Indian media-machine was already frothing at the mouth,
celebrating military glory, shouting accusations, and parading baseless claims
before a single investigation had even begun.
Pakistan, in a responsible diplomatic move, demanded an
independent international probe. After all, if India’s accusations were based
on facts, it should have welcomed an investigation. But No, India chose
missiles over truth, and in doing so, killed 31 innocent civilians, including
children and women, and injured over 50 others. And yet, it dared to talk about
peace and restraint.
India fooled itself into thinking that, as an "emerging
superpower," it could act with impunity. It thought its economic rise
would provide immunity. It mistook Pakistan’s political problems, economic
struggles, and internal conflicts as signs of weakness. But when you're blinded
by bias and overconfidence, and addicted to your own propaganda, your
calculations turn into fantasies, and fantasies, when shattered, sting the
most.
In another reckless move, India also unilaterally suspended
the Indus Waters Treaty, a legally binding agreement and tried to turn water,
Pakistan’s lifeline, into a weapon. It
was yet another desperate attempt to provoke and show power. But in the real
world, even adversaries respect treaties, maintain backdoor communications and
diplomatic channels. India, in a Bollywood-induced haze, seemed to have
forgotten the rules of modern statecraft.
And so, Pakistan was left with no choice.
On May 7th, Pakistan’s Air Force, with just 40 jets,
primarily China-made J-10, engaged over 70 Indian jets along the Line of
Control. In a one-hour dogfight that now echoes as one of the greatest air
battles, Pakistan shot down five Indian jets, including three of the prideful
Rafales, those overpriced symbols of French engineering that Modi once flaunted
as game-changers.
Electronic evidence, radar records, and visual footage,
everything was presented live at a press conference with international media
present on May 9th.
The world, stunned, quietly acknowledged that a power
recalibration in South Asia had occurred. The so-called giant had stumbled.
But Pakistan didn’t strike back immediately. It exercised
restraint, hoping India would regain its senses. But as they say, when a mad
dog bites, it rarely does so only once. On May 8, Indian forces, using
Israeli-made drones, once again breached Pakistani airspace. They were all
neutralized, causing minimal injuries and no fatalities. And yet, at home,
Indian media and officials spun a fantasy worthy of any Akshay Kumar movie. They claimed on live television no less,
that they had captured Karachi, taken over Lahore, and even forced Pakistan’s Army Chief into surrender. Not one Indian journalist bothered to verify such
far-fetched claims. The theatre was so absurd, even Bollywood would have
rejected the script for being too far-fetched.
But fantasy doesn’t last forever.
On the morning of May 9, reality hit India like a storm.
Nothing had been captured, nothing had been destroyed, and Pakistan was
standing strong untouched and unshaken.
In response to India's delusions, Pakistan’s military held a
two-hour press conference. Calmly and clearly, they exposed India’s false
claims, showed undeniable proof, and even laughed at the wild stories being
spread in Indian media. But instead of backing down, India chose madness again.
It fired missiles at three Pakistani military airbases, one that even shook the
capital. Although these were intercepted or neutralized with minimal damage,
this time, the target was clear, Pakistan’s military. That crossed the final
red line. This was war.
Pakistan waited for the past three days and gave the
international community time to intervene and stop the madness. But the world
remained silent, watching the theater unfold, thinking it would end by itself.
What they failed to grasp was that this was the brink of war between two
nuclear-armed states. One had lost its mind, and the other had no choice but to
defend itself, they misjudged both Pakistan’s restraint and its resolve.
And then came the storm.
At dawn on May 10, after
the Fajr, Pakistan responded.
Operation Bunyan-al-Marsous (Wall of Steel) was launched.
It was powerful, precise and
unforgettable. Pakistani fighter jets not only breached Indian airspace
but dismantled air bases across key regions. A total of 20 military
installations across India’s northern command were hit with precision.
Pakistan's jets returned, rearmed, and struck again this time disabling India’s
pride and joy, the S-400 air defense system. The silence in New Delhi was
louder than the explosions.
And then they returned. Safe. Complete. Triumphant.
The myth of Pakistan being too weak, too unstable, too
distracted was gone. That morning, Pakistan had responded, and the world took
notice. As the Pakistan Army had earlier vowed, “The world will know when
Pakistan responds.” And they did. Loud and clear. The United States, which had
previously dismissed the crisis as “none of our business,” now hurried to push both nations toward a ceasefire,
citing what it called “alarming intelligence.”
As the world watched, surprised and silent, international
powers rushed in to mediate. Not because India was winning but because they
realized Pakistan had decided to retaliate. Pakistan’s retaliation was
coordinated, professional, and precise. The myth of India’s invincibility had
been shattered by a neighbor it had long mocked.
By the evening of May 10, a ceasefire was announced. Not
because India wanted peace, but because it had no fight left. But something
irreversible had happened.
As the dust settled,
the world began processing a difficult truth: the strategic balance in South
Asia had shifted. Power, once assumed to be India’s by default, now sat
uneasily, tilting toward Islamabad.
In just 72 hours, Pakistan didn’t just defend its borders,
it reshaped the regional power map.
For decades, India was seen as a rising superpower with tech, trade, and global
support. But in those few days, the world realized that power isn't just about economy or image, it’s about capability,
resolve, and strategy.
Pakistan, thought to be buried under internal crises, rose when it mattered the most. It fought smartly. It fought honorably. It won, not just battles in the air, but respect across the world. A quiet but profound shift has taken place in South Asia, one that the world is only beginning to grasp. For some, it’s a difficult truth to accept. But then again, reality often is, especially when you’ve spent too long mistaking fiction for fact in a Bollywood daydream.
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