India's Strike on Pakistan Isn't About Terrorism or Kashmir | Opinion
NewsweekMAY 2
India, Pakistan Prepare for Military-to-Military Talks
Above:Â An Indian paramilitary trooper stands guard on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar, India, on May 12, 2025. Â Image copyright:Â Basit Zargar/Contributor/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-India narrative
Pakistan's reckless provocations — engineered by a belligerent military leadership — triggered this latest volatile confrontation, forcing India to respond with surgical precision. By sponsoring terrorism and exploiting civilian populations as human shields, Pakistan precipitated its own diplomatic isolation. India's measured restraint in agreeing to talks demonstrates strategic maturity against an adversary hell-bent on regional destabilization.
Pro-Pakistan narrative
In a diplomatic capitulation, India's belligerent Modi regime — which orchestrated provocative airstrikes and unilateral water blockades — now finds itself diplomatically cornered. The US-brokered ceasefire exposes the hollowness of India's aggressive posturing, revealing a calculated military gambit that backfired spectacularly, forcing New Delhi to the negotiation table after miscalculating its strategic advantages against a prepared Pakistan.