The dust has somewhat settled in Jammu & Kashmir and the bordering areas of Pakistan. It would be naive, however, to believe that our truculent neighbour will mend its ways, even after the battering it received in Operation Sindoor.

New Delhi cannot afford to lower its guard. Pakistan has proven itself to be an untrustworthy actor, ready to discard the script of responsible Statehood and resort to gruesome theatrics on the world stage. All lessons and realities appear lost on its military and political leadership.

The real question, therefore, is not what lessons Pakistan refuses to learn — but what lessons India has absorbed from Pahalgam and its aftermath, particularly in the realm of foreign policy. These are uncomfortable questions that defy straightforward answers, but they are critical to building a credible and resilient India.

Pakistan, while lacking credibility as a serious State, is utterly predictable. History suggests that it will not reform; it will double down on its terror infrastructure, continue proxy wars, and even pick fights it is certain to lose.

Despite the broader Arab and Muslim world rejecting Pakistan’s religious narrative, Islamabad continues to play the victim card. The only constituencies still buying into this story........

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