For the past 35 years, India has been a victim of Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism. Kashmiri Pandits were ethnically cleansed from Kashmir, while Sikhs and Muslims who opposed Pakistan’s agenda, along with thousands of our soldiers fighting against Pakistan-sponsored jihad, have been relentlessly killed. On April 22, we were targeted yet again when Pakistani terrorists singled out Hindu tourists in a humiliatingly profane manner and executed them in Pahalgam.
Yet, despite this outrageous act—one that should provoke any self-respecting nation—the global powers, beyond mere lip service on terrorism, lectured India on “restraint” and warned against “escalation.” The Pahalgam attack was itself a severe escalation, but the world refused to acknowledge it as such.
In the last three decades, India has rarely retaliated against the epicenter of terrorism. After the Pulwama terror attack, the government responded with the Balakot surgical strike. This time, however, the international community failed to recognize India as a victim of terror, instead drawing a false equivalence between India and Pakistan. There can be no moral, political, or diplomatic parity between the victim and the perpetrator—yet this was the perceived outcome of ‘Operation Sindoor.’
Worse, despite supposedly mastering our own narrative over the past 11 years, our voice seems confined to an echo chamber. Globally, whose narrative dominated in April-May 2025? Not India’s.
Adding insult to injury, the IMF displayed shocking callousness by approving yet another $1 billion loan to Pakistan—this time amid a fierce military confrontation with India. Over the past seven decades, the IMF has granted loans to the rogue state of Pakistan 25 times.
This is a blatant diplomatic disregard for India’s position and its legitimate concerns over Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism. Remember, Pakistan was on FATF’s grey list for terror financing. Yet today, no global power holds the Pakistani Army or ISI accountable for their nefarious activities in India’s backyard—and within Jammu & Kashmir.
Our armed forces—soldiers on the ground, in the air, and at sea—have made us proud. In recent days, they have displayed extraordinary courage, resilience, and perseverance against a terror state. Our citizens, too, have shown grace, maturity, and fearlessness, ready to sacrifice for the nation.
Yet, despite all this, India has lost face—diplomatically and in the battle of narratives. The blame for this certainly cannot be laid at the door of India’s foreign secretary, who merely served as a spokesperson following India’s strikes against terror centers in Pakistan last week.
For decades, Pakistan’s military has been propped up as a mercenary force by global powers—first by the US during the Cold War and the War on Terror, and now by China as part of its Belt and Road ambitions. Both nations have armed, funded, and diplomatically shielded the Pakistani Army, even as it sponsored terrorism against India. The result? A rogue military that thrives on impunity while India pays the price.
During the Soviet-Afghan War, the US funneled billions through Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to arm jihadists, turning a blind eye to its terror infrastructure. Post-9/11, Washington rewarded Pakistan with aid despite its double game—harboring Osama bin Laden while pretending to fight Al-Qaeda. The US knew Pakistan was diverting resources to fuel Kashmir militancy, yet continued military aid, treating India’s terrorism concerns as secondary to its own geopolitical needs.
China, meanwhile, has weaponized Pakistan as a counterweight to India. Billions in loans under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have only deepened Pakistan’s debt trap, but Beijing cares little—its goal is to keep India encircled. China repeatedly blocks UN sanctions against Pakistan-based terrorists, supplies advanced weaponry to its military, and whitewashes its human rights abuses in Balochistan and PoK. When India revoked Article 370, China absurdly raised the issue at the UN, not out of principle but to undermine Indian sovereignty.
The cost to India has been immense. Despite exposing Pakistan’s terror factories at the UN, India faces a skewed narrative where Islamabad is either a “frontline ally” (for the US) or a “strategic partner” (for China). The IMF’s latest bailout, backed by Washington, and China’s veto power at global forums ensure Pakistan never faces real consequences. Meanwhile, India—the actual victim—is gaslit into “de-escalation” after every attack.
The lesson is clear: great powers exploit Pakistan’s Army as a cheap proxy, but India bears the brunt of its violence. Until the world stops treating Pakistan as a hired gun and India as collateral damage, this cycle will continue—with bloodshed on our soil, and hypocrisy in global capitals.
