Military strike, diplomatic gain

For the first time, a clear distinction is being made between the Kashmir issue and terrorism. This will have far-reaching implications

- HASEEB A DRABU

THE TRIBAL MILITIAS and irregular Pakistani forces that invaded Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947 have been known to generations of Kashmiris as "Kabalis", mercenary raiders. Less than two decades later, in August 1965, Pakistan carried out large-scale infiltration into the Valley to precipitate insurgency in the state under Operation Gibraltar — local Kashmiris referred to them as "Mujahids" or militant missionaries. After the Pahalgam carnage and Operation Sindoor, they shall be referred to, and remembered as, terrorists.

This is going to be the most transformative and enduring gain from the attack launched by the Indian armed forces on May 7 — a series of precision missile strikes targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Beyond the evocative symbolism of the name, emphasizing the personal loss of newlyweds in Pahalgam, there is a larger message that underlies the operation: It is not about Kashmir, its politics, and political status anymore — it is about terrorism. For the first time, a clear distinction is being made between the Kashmir issue and terrorism. This will have far-reaching implications.

There is no denying the fact that a military move, like the one carried out, could have had substantial implications for the Kashmir issue, both regionally and internationally. For, the Kashmir conflict has long been an international concern, with numerous United Nations resolutions and attempts at third-party mediation since Partition. However, while the missile attack has amplified its global visibility, it stops short of taking it back to the international arena.