May 11, 2025
India and Pakistan Need Soul Searching: What is Next after the Ceasefire?
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.
Looking Beyond the Formative History
You may call it normal that India and Pakistan are fighting again on Kashmir. But rational observers would wonder why after more than 77 years - the end of British colonialism these two neighbors are unable to define friend and foe. British imperialism lasting a few centuries divided and ruled the subcontinent and history keeps on repeating itself for a week-long warfare transforming ugly words into foolish actions to discard reason for unreason. President Trump seems to have calmed the sadistic minds for a change. Cynicism about politics is endemic across India and Pakistan. There was no winner and no loser as both claimed self-defense - a contentious terminology. The British left the sub-continent in a hurry fearing Nazi Germany onslaught during the WW2 causing ethnic divides and killings in the name of freedom and social-political identities. Kashmir was never part of British occupied India but a semi-independent state with Muslim majority ruled by a Hindu Maharaja who paid millions to become the ruler. History made India and Pakistan enemies and geography made them neighbors.
To learn from history, newly independent Indian and Pakistani leaders needed objectively grounded reasons to reconstruct the societies for political change, freedom and friendship. Its dynamics should have envisaged proactive vision and creative leadership pursuing emancipation of peace and harmony over animosity. The State of Jammu and Kashmir is at the heart of all political and strategic problems which characterize the nature of relationships between the two nuclear rivals. Under PM Nirendra Modi, India is tainted by Hindu nationalism and its ideological and normative connotations and supremacy of thoughts. But its unilateral claim on the people of Kashmir negates the British constitutional act of freedom for both states and does not have the characteristics of truth, wisdom and honesty to assert moral and intellectual justification. There are more than a dozen of UN Security Council Resolutions on the Kashmir dispute accepted by India and Pakistan calling for a plebiscite (referendum) to be held respecting the rights of self-determination of the people of Kashmir. If both countries were responsible in global affairs, an impartial referendum could have paved the way for a peaceful resolution of Jammu and Kashmir. Not so, it is a focal issue of contention between the two nuclear armed nations. Stupidity has its limits and wickedness knows no bound in politics.
Political Cynicism, Kashmir Dispute and Sustainable Future-Making
Fallacy of intent leads to false consequences and innocent civilians become victims. India claims to have attacked a “terrorist” network in Murdeke, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi but 31 civilians ended up as casualties. Pakistanis claim to have knocked out the S-4000 Russian anti- missile system and crashed 5 jets but reports say 22 people were killed and various military outposts were hit in India. Why should responsible leaders cover up contradictions by adroit? Rationally looking, both nations failed miserably to understand the meaning and truth of national freedom from British colonialism. Please see: “British Colonialism and How India and Pakistan Lost National Freedom.”https://www.globalresearch.ca/british-colonialism-how-india-pakistan-lost-freedom/5765810
“India and Pakistan Freedom Lost and Animosity Flourishes” https://www.uncommonthought.com/mtblog/archives/2025/05/04/india-and-pakistan-freedom-lost-and-animosity-flourishes.php
Nation-building for peace and good neighborly relationships is a critical issue for the present and future generations within the sub-continent. Strangely enough, new, educated and proactive generations are denied time and opportunities in neo-colonial dominated cultures of political power and elite class domination.
None of the leaders appear to take initiatives to limit tyranny and oppression against the people of Jammu and Kashmir to avert wars and killings. To imagine a new beginning, people of new educated generations of ideas and ideals should be encouraged to hold power and refocus on navigational change for a progressive politics opening new threshold of interactive politics and relations aimed at resolving the Kashmir dispute and normalizing much needed people to people relations. The policies and practices pursued by PM Modi and PM Sharif are more self-serving utopian than realistic for the common good of masses in both countries. They are wasting time and opportunities on warfare rather building bridges to overcome institutionalized hatred and fear of the unknown.
Politicians of conscience should intervene and clarify that people of Kashmir must have the opportunity to decide whether they wish to join India or Pakistan or remain free of their own choice to maintain collaborative relations with both countries. There is no wisdom to synthesize a gruesome legal and political claim for India to deny freedom to the people of Kashmir. If Indian or Pakistani emotionally charged political activists think of any military solution and nukes, they are wrong now and they will be wrong after the fact. It could be a disingenuous mystery of self-destruction without any favorable outcomes. Only stupid and irresponsible leaders could opt for such a strategy to resolve an international conflict. Both countries need an awakening torch of rational self-analysis and peaceful future-making. All demonstrations and loud crying of emotionally charged agents do not translate into tangible logical actions.
Mean and cheap slogans entrenched both nations as if the ceasefire unfolds some kind of triumph to sickening minds. The military personnel on both sides should remain behind the scenes not to dramatize strangulation of humanity for propaganda and glory. There is credible history of India under several centuries of Mughal Empire, its people and progress. Post colonialism, India built some of its public institutions to enhance democracy, free elections and transfer of power but Pakistan fell victim to conspiracies, dismemberment and military coups and lost the strategic path of institutional development and nation-building. The current egoistic politicians who were not elected for the governance must face the mirror to immediately free Imran Khan (Pakistan Teherk-E-Insaf), leader from captivity and unfair treatment. Individualistically motivated animosities implied to charge Imran Khan with 150 or so bogus cases. Domestic harmony in Pakistan wants coherent rethinking to free Khan and his party members.If not, few indicted criminals cannot be allowed to govern the country without formidable challenges and causing harm to the national interests. https://www.globalresearch.ca/pakistan-imran-khan-victim-hope-future/5798231%22
Time and opportunities call for new ideas and new efforts on both sides to talk about peaceful means to settle the Kashmir dispute. Many former leaders were devoid of moral and intellectual capacity to resolve the Kashmir problem based on international norms and equal rights for all. Frankly, Bhuttos, Sharifs and Zardari and Musharaf were egoistic, corrupt and criminals who stole the time and wealth of the nation to buy palaces abroad. Effective leaders are always people-oriented open to listening and learning and know their strengths and weaknesses. The leaders of India and Pakistan must do soul searching and think critically - how to make a navigational change to ensure a sustainable political change in relationships, national freedom and a progressive future. Both nations have friendly ties with the USA, China, Russia and West European nations and leaders of these countries must take initiatives to make India and Pakistan understand the strategy of peace-making and good neighborly relationships as a preventive measure to stop a dreadful futuristic war. Any substantial rethinking for political change would require habitual practice of honesty, rational candour, frankness and sincerity of purpose to avoid dreadful tragedies. Recall that truth, glory and honor live in righteousness not in wickedness.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution and has spent several academic years across the Russian-Ukrainian and Central Asian regions knowing the people, diverse cultures of thinking and political governance and a keen interest in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: Global Humanity and Remaking of Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution for the 21st Century and Beyond, Barnes and Noble Press, USA, 2025 https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/global-humanity-and-remaking-of-peace-security-and-conflict-resolution-for-the-21st-century-and-beyond-mahboob-a-khawaja/1147150197?ean=9798317619374 and We, The People in Search of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. KDP-Amazon.com, 05/2025 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6V6CH5W
Israel bombs Gaza school, kills 15; Hamas to free US-Israeli captive
- Hamas says it will release US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander and confirms holding direct talks with the United States.
- Israel pounds Gaza, bombing a school-turned-shelter and killing at least 15, as its total blockade on the Strip enters its 71st day.
- Israeli forces also launch attacks on Yemen’s Hodeidah after warning residents of three ports under Houthi control – Ras Isa, Hodeidah and Salif – to flee.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 52,829 Palestinians and wounded 119,554, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
- An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/5/12/live-israel-pounds-gaza-killing-26-hamas-to-release-us-israeli-captive
Palestinian Information Center – May 11, 2025
Islamic Jihad:
No release of Israeli captives without full end to the war
Mohammad al-Hindi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, stated that the Palestinian resistance will not release any Israeli captives unless Israel halts its war and ends the campaign of genocide in Gaza.
In press remarks, al-Hindi reiterated the resistance’s preference for an “all-for-all” prisoner exchange deal, but noted that the Movement is also open to a phased implementation of a comprehensive and clearly defined agreement.
He accused Israel of trying to use negotiations to retrieve its captives without ending the war and of deliberately overwhelming mediators from Egypt and Qatar with unrealistic and obstructive demands to stall progress.
Al-Hindi stressed that disarming the resistance would be equivalent to enabling the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza—an outcome the resistance and the Palestinian people categorically reject.
He described Israel’s demand to dismantle the resistance as the central obstacle to negotiations and dismissed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s claims about defeating Hamas and forcing surrender as pure fantasy.
Al-Hindi further warned that the massacres in Gaza and the West Bank may appear as tactical victories for Netanyahu’s agenda but, in reality, conceal deeper and more dangerous consequences yet to emerge.
Previously, the Hamas movement had also reiterated its refusal of partial agreements, insisting on a comprehensive ceasefire deal that includes a post-war roadmap and guarantees a full and permanent halt to Israeli aggression.
Israel’s war on Gaza—described by rights groups as a campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing—has continued for over 581 days. Since the collapse of a fragile ceasefire on 18 March, Israel has resumed its military offensive, using starvation and the closure of border crossings as additional weapons in its war strategy.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/05/11/339089/
India-Pakistan War: Chinese Weapons Get Combat Test
Escalating hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan—a close strategic ally of Beijing—may be serving as a testing ground for Chinese defense technology.
This would include the first "kill" ever by the Chengdu J-10C multirole fighter, a Chinese-built jet Pakistan said shot down Indian air force fighters Wednesday.
Newsweek reached out to the Indian, Pakistani and Chinese foreign ministries with emailed requests for comment outside of office hours.
Why It Matters
India on Wednesday launched "Operation Sindoor," a coordinated series of strikes on what it described as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The campaign followed a deadly April 22 mass shooting in disputed Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
The fighting has included one of the largest aerial engagements between the two countries in recent memory. A Pakistani official said more than 100 aircraft were involved in a dogfight that lasted over an hour, in what would be one of the largest air battles since World War II.
What To Know
Pakistan claimed it shot down five Indian planes: three French-made Rafale fighters, a Russian-designed MiG-29, and a Russian Su-30. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said J-10C jets were used in the operation.
If confirmed, it would mark the first time plane in the 27-year-old J-10 family has seen combat—and the first time the capable Rafale has been shot down in battle.
The South Asian country, "which Beijing has dubbed an "all-weather" ally, is the only country other than China to operate the J-10.
India has denied losing aircraft. The c36ountry's state-run Press Information Bureau said an image Pakistan circulated of a damaged Rafale was from an earlier unrelated crash. The Indian Embassy in China called the claims "disinformation."
Pakistan fields around 20 J-10C jets and has ordered 36 more. The aircraft is produced by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and equipped with modern radar and air-to-air missile systems.
After the fighting, shares in Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the parent company of J-10C manufacturer Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, rose 1.6 percent on Wednesday—reaching a two-week high—on news of the border clashes, according to Bloomberg.
India also said it had struck Pakistani air defense systems during the operation. Indian media, citing defense sources, reported that Pakistan's HQ-9P and HQ-16 surface-to-air missile platforms—supplied by China—were destroyed during strikes near Lahore. No missile interceptions were reported.
The HQ-9P is a shorter-range export variant of China's domestically deployed HQ-9 system. China's version has a reported range of more than 155 miles. Pakistan's version is estimated to cover about half that distance.
India operates the Russian-made S-400 Triumf missile defense system and remains one of Russia's largest arms buyers, though its government is expanding local production under the Make in India initiative.
The conflict poses a delicate balancing act for the United States.
Pakistan is a longtime security collaborator, while Washington's strategic partnership with India has grown in importance amid U.S. efforts to counter China's rising military power in the Indo-Pacific region.
Both India and Pakistan claim a portion of Himalayan region. China holds a smaller tranche of the territory.
What People Are Saying
Sajjan Gohel, international security director at the London-based Asia-Pacific Foundation think tank, told CNN: "This makes any engagement between India and Pakistan a de facto test environment for Chinese military export."
Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters Thursday: "India and Pakistan are and will always be each other's neighbors. They're both China's neighbors as well. China opposes all forms of terrorism.
"We urge both sides to act in the larger interest of peace and stability, observe international law, including the UN Charter, remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation."
What Happens Next
The tit-for-tat conflict marks the most-serious clash between the South Asian rivals since 1999, and it's unclear how much further it could escalate.
The U.S. and other countries have issued calls for restraint and encouraged both sides to de-escalate through diplomacy.
https://www.newsweek.com/india-pakistan-war-china-fighter-jets-missile-defenses-2070168
India tried to project strength but ended up showing weakness
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, India’s image as a regional hegemon has frayed.
Yousuf Nazar
On May 10, United States President Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan brokered by his administration. US media reported that, alarmed by intelligence signalling further escalation, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles drove urgent mediation. Vance warned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of catastrophic risks and encouraged direct talks between India and Pakistan.
The announcement of the ceasefire was received across the world with a sigh of relief. The spectre of a nuclear exchange, which according to one 2019 study could kill up to 125 million people in less than a week, had fuelled regional anxiety and spurred the US diplomatic frenzy.
In India, however, Trump’s announcement was seen differently in some quarters. Former Indian army chief Ved Prakash Malik posted on X: “Ceasefire 10 May 25: We have left India’s future history to ask what politico-strategic advantages, if any, were gained after its kinetic and non-kinetic actions.” MP Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on the same platform: “I wish our PM @narendramodi had announced the ceasefire rather than the President of a foreign country. We have always been opposed to third party intervention since Simla (1972). Why have we now accepted it? I hope the Kashmir issue will not be internationalised, as it is our internal matter.”
The latter comment likely refers to Trump’s statement that he is willing to work with India and Pakistan “to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir”.
The ceasefire announcement by the US president appears to have been perceived by some in India as a sign of the Modi government’s retreat under US pressure while his offer to mediate on Kashmir is being seen as an indication that India’s longstanding rejection of third-party intervention is being undermined.
In South Asian geopolitics, perception often outpaces reality – until reality bites. India has long projected regional dominance, bolstered by economic growth and nuclear might. Yet its actions in the aftermath of theļ¾ April 22 massacre carried out by the Resistance Front (TRF) in Kashmir exposed its vulnerabilities. Intended to assert strength, India’s response faltered, boosting Pakistan’s regional standing and leaving Modi’s government diplomatically weakened.
On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terrorist bases linked to groups like the TRF, which, it claims, is supported by Pakistan. Backed by French-made Rafale jets, the operation sought to project Modi’s strongman image amid domestic outrage. Yet its success was contested. Pakistan reported civilian casualties, including children, while India insisted only terrorist sites were hit.
Pakistan’s air force scrambled its own jets to deflect the attack and claimed it downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales. Two US officials confirmed to the Reuters news agency that a Chinese-made J-10 jet shot down at least two Indian planes, aided by Chinese intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support. India has not acknowledged any losses.
Indian media initially claimed devastating strikes on Pakistani cities, including Karachi’s seaport, but these reports, which were clearly part of propaganda efforts, were proven false.
On May 9, India launched missile attacks on Pakistani bases, including one near Islamabad, Pakistan claimed. The Pakistani army retaliated with short-range missile and drone strikes targeting Indian airbases at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj. Indian air force officer Vyomika Singh reported Pakistani drones and munitions hit civilian and military targets.
India’s image as a regional hegemon frayed. The Indian government clearly overestimated its Rafale jets and underestimated Pakistan’s Chinese-backed ISR systems, which enhanced battlefield precision.
China’s military support for Pakistan has increased significantly in recent years. Since 2020, it has accounted for 81 percent of Islamabad’s military imports.
For years, some Indian defence analysts warned that India’s military was unprepared for a China-supported Pakistan, given its limited US or Russian backing for its high-risk Kashmir gamble. Others criticised the government’s foreign policy for encouraging China-Pakistan rapprochement. Their warnings remained unheeded in New Delhi.
The events of the past few days exposed India’s strategic limits, replacing ambiguity with global scrutiny. The kneejerk reaction in New Delhi may be to increase the defence budget and deepen even further the militarisation of Kashmir.
As the Indian government plans its next steps, it should do well to consider that the status quo of shadow war and the cycle of covert aggression fuelling unrest is untenable. Both nations’ intelligence agencies have long backed proxies, driving instability from Kashmir to Afghanistan.
The path forward rests on New Delhi and Islamabad making wise choices. Restraint, not rhetoric, should shape policies moving forward. Failure to do so risks geopolitical turmoil, economic stagnation and hardship for millions. Home to a quarter of the world’s poorest people and more than 350 million illiterate adults, India and Pakistan cannot afford prolonged strife. Continued tensions could derail India’s growth and cripple Pakistan’s fragile economy, dwarfing any tactical gains.
Yousuf Nazar is the former head of Citigroup’s emerging markets investments and author of ‘The Gathering Storm’.
Pakistan Cricket On Decline
By Syed Rifaquat Ali
Once the most potent force in International Cricket, now Pakistan is just a mediocre outfit like the sister sport field hockey. Pakistan has won the maximum number of FIH trophies in the recent past. And today Pakistan is struggling to qualify for the Olympics.
I was in Kuala Lumpur to cover the Azlan Shah Inter-continental Hockey Cup in c.1990, and asked Pakistan's top hockey boss Brig. Atif: what is the secret of Pakistan's immense success in field hockey? His reply was : we spot talented players at a very youg age, groom them and then give them International exposure.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should do exactly the same thing to resurrect Pakistan cricket which is today in dithers due to poor planning and negligence. It seems thePCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who is the Interior Minister of Pakistan, is finding it difficult to take time off to stem the rot. And Pakistan Cricket continues to suffer.
The ICC T20 WC is slated for 2026 and, it seems, Pakistan is not serious about it. The Bangladesh cricket team is arriving in Pakistan around mid-June this year to play five T20 matches, and Pakistan has named the squad which has either rookies or veterans. The imbalance is no good for Pakistan and the future looks bleak.
What Pakistan should do is to spot talented boys when they are about sixteen years of age, entrust them to a proper foreign coach and not just a retired legendary cricketer who has no experience of coaching. It has now become a fashion to appoint a top notch International cricketer of yesteryear as coach, giving him a fat salary in dollars.
When the sixteen years old boys are groomed for about two years, select the best ones for ICC Under-19 World Cup, and you will get a couple of outstanding players, ready for the national team. Is there any point in having veterans like, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Iftekhar et al. who are no good for the future. How strange it sounds that today Pakistan has no proper spinner in the team. And if there is one, he is sidelined since the team prefers to play with four fast bowlers which is silly.
Ever heard of a team playing with four fast bowlers and no proper spinner in a Test match? This possibility is evident only in Pakistan national team. Such haphazard planning
Is bound to affect the team. Pakistan should appoint a three-member committee comprising Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad, give them two years and free hand, and you will see spectacular result. And yes, all the three committee members should be handsomely paid for the job.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is Sydney correspondent of JoA.
