Every war has an economy, but the result is only misery

The last week brought considerable unrest across India. The Indian Air Force launched an airstrike against terrorist bases in Pakistan around midnight on May 8. This was a strong response by India to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

- Dr P S Vohra

This air assault gave all Indians a newfound sense of self-assurance. There is a limit to tolerance, and beyond that, aggression becomes the only option. Pakistan has always betrayed India. Seventy-five years ago, it was a part of India. This time too, it maintained its deceitful mindset and, just two days after the strike, began targeting various cities in India's border states-Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, and Jammu & Kashmir. But the Indian Army did not let any of their targets succeed and gave a fitting reply. On the evening of May 10, a sudden tweet by the President of the United States went viral, confirming that both countries had immediately agreed to a ceasefire. This triggered various types of reactions on social media. War is undoubtedly not the answer, but the terrorism that Pakistan has fostered on the Indian soil over the past 75 years has gotten so bad that all Indians desire a definitive solution.

Every nation, whether rich, developing, or impoverished, has an economic crisis following a war. Pakistan is clearly far behind India in terms of economic standing if the five-day war scenario is analysed from an economic standpoint. This assertion is supported by a number of economic indicators that greatly favour India.

Economically, Pakistan is no match for India

India's India's GDP is nearly ten times larger than Pakistan's, standing at four trillion US dollars compared to Pakistan's 340 billion. India's foreign exchange reserves are 678 billion US dollars, enough for over a year, while Pakistan has just 8 billion, barely covering two months. Pakistan's economy is shrinking, with a negative growth rate of 2%, while India is expected to grow at 6-7%.