PAKISTAN is entering one of the most complex phases of its modern history, as regional alignments harden and internal vulnerabilities deepen.

India’s expanding military partnership with Israel has accelerated sharply in recent years, with India now accounting for 34% of Israel’s total defense exports, according to a March 2024 SIPRI report. Between 2001 and 2021, India imported USD 4.2 billion worth of Israeli defense equipment and between 2023 and 2024 Israel supplied 13% of India’s total arms imports—more than double its share two decades earlier. India’s procurement of systems such as Heron drones, Spike missiles, Barak8 air defense systems, Hermes900 UAVs and advanced electronic warfare suites reflects a doctrinal shift toward precision strike capabilities modeled on Israel’s recent operations in the Middle East.

This Indo-Israel alignment is unfolding at a time when US tensions with Iran remain volatile, raising fears that regional rivalries may spill over into South Asia. Reports also indicate that the United States has quietly encouraged closer Pakistan–Israel engagement as part of a broader strategic recalibration, though Islamabad has maintained a cautious public posture.

While the eastern front is shaped by India’s expanding capabilities, Pakistan’s western frontier has deteriorated sharply. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, militant attacks inside Pakistan have surged. In 2024, Pakistan experienced 521 terrorist attacks, resulting in 852 deaths and 1,092 injuries—a 23% increase in fatalities compared to the previous year. Over 95% of these attacks........

© Pakistan Observer