The Pahalgam terror attack on this day a year ago revealed the ruthless ambitions of an army chief and his willingness to risk high costs to achieve his objectives. That story is yet to close. As Pakistan revels in the acclaim of mediation, the reality is that it is still dangerously unstable, and Field Marshal Asim Munir knows it. The ruthless efficiency of Operation Sindoor is unlikely to restrain him in a world where war is now the norm rather than the exception. For Pakistan, the answer has always been the same. Another day, another attack, and perhaps more rewards.

Consider the days before Pahalgam. The arrest of then-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the massive protests that followed, and the infamous use of military courts to try civilians all led to public anger building against the army. Balochistan exploded with the arrest of the charismatic Mehrang Baloch, and Gilgit-Baltistan was paralysed with protests over electricity outages in sub-zero temperatures, halting CPEC-linked trade for days. In Sindh, the Opposition surged against federal plans to divert Indus waters for military agribusiness projects.

In the midst of all this came the Jaffar Express attack, claimed by the Balochistan Republican Army but blamed on India. Dramatic declarations of vengeance by the army........

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