After 4 days of combat ending with a ceasefire on 10 May, India claimed to have created a "New Normal" in relations with Pakistan. In reality, this sets the stage for continued hostility between two nuclear powers; a perpetual state of suspended conflict. Such endless strategic instability under the shadow of nuclear weapons will be dangerously unpredictable since any future escalation could go beyond the nuclear threshold. This in fact is a "New Abnormal" which requires Pakistan to further strengthen its conventional and nuclear deterrence to neutralise future Indian adventurism as it did during the May crisis.

Indian allegations of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam terrorist incident on 22 April were meant to justify its aggression. No evidence has been provided so far and according to their own official sources, the investigation is still ongoing. This reinforces Pakistan's assessment that this incident was an Indian false-flag operation for achieving Prime Minister Modi's internal and external objectives.

Internally, Modi sought to use the crisis for electoral mobilisation in toughly contested forthcoming state elections. A senior India's politician, Yashwant Sinha, has conceded as much in a television interview. The same tactics were used by Modi in February 2019 by staging the Pulwama terrorist incident leading to the clash with Pakistan which ensured a massive electoral victory for him.

Externally, Modi used the visit to India by US Vice President Vance to demonise Pakistan just as India had done in 2000 during President Clinton's visit by conducting the Chattisingpura massacre. The Modi........

© The Express Tribune