Hint of normalisation triggers terror escalation by Pak deep state

NEW DELHI The recent increase in terror attacks by Pakistanbased groups in Jammu and Kashmir has underscored the influence that is exercised by the "deep state" that comprises a network of military, intelligence, and political actors who despite working beneath the surface have been able to steer the way Pakistani state and non-state actors are utilised against India.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

While a significant segment of the Pakistani political class, media, and intelligentsia advocates the normalisation of ties with India-recognising its importance for Pakistan's future and economic prosperity-the likelihood of India pursuing that path remains extremely low.

Officials in Delhi emphasise that this reluctance stems from the inability of Pakistan's military and political machinery to control and diminish the influence of the deep state, which has consistently interfered through terror proxies whenever normalisation efforts are made by Islamabad.

Recently, Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, while advocating for the normalisation of ties with India, stated that "not trading with your neighbours, particularly India, doesn't make sense." He made these remarks during a press conference in Washington, held alongside the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group.

Aurangzeb was quick to clarify, however, that "political" and "geopolitical" issues were beyond his purview, emphasising that any movement toward normalisation would require the involvement of members from the deep state.