LONDON – Senior British journalist Anbarasan Ethirajan has declared Pakistan as the victor and India as the defeated party in the recent military standoff between the two South Asian nuclear powers. His analysis sheds light on the aftermath of the high-stakes confrontation and the international mediation efforts that helped de-escalate tensions.
According to Ethirajan, a major clash between India and Pakistan was narrowly averted, thanks in large part to diplomatic intervention by the United States, which once again played a critical mediatory role between the historic rivals.
In his assessment, India failed to carry out a decisive military action, while Pakistan’s armed forces successfully countered Indian aggression, emerging as the dominant force in the eyes of both domestic and international observers. The Pakistani public, he noted, appeared unified in its support for the military, which strengthened Islamabad’s position.
Following the ceasefire, both countries are likely recalculating their strategic gains and losses. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump may once again attempt to present himself as a global peacemaker, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio potentially claiming his first major diplomatic success.
Ethirajan added that Pakistan’s military can now confidently show its nation how it thwarted Indian aggression, having reasserted itself as a victorious force with nationwide backing.
Conversely, India might argue that despite Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent, it still carried out strikes on what it alleged were terrorist infrastructure sites within Pakistani territory.
However, the broader realization in New Delhi, Ethirajan suggests, may be that Pakistan’s air power exceeded expectations, and despite billions spent on acquiring new weapons, India failed to deliver a decisive blow.
