Pakistan has announced it will conduct a test of a surface-to-surface missile off the coast of Karachi on Wednesday. This is just days after five terrorists attacked the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam and killed 26 civilians.
The majority of the victims were tourists. The terrorists, according to Indian Express, comprised three Pakistani nationals and two local Kashmiris who had undergone training in Pakistan in 2018.
India immediately attributed the attack to Pakistani terror syndicates and responded with aggressive diplomatic actions. Islamabad dismissed involvement, but amplified military activity with live-fire exercises at the Tilla Range-just days before announcing the missile test. This action, so precisely coinciding with the terrorist attack, inserts an element of military pressure into a highly charged equation.
India Acts With Quick, Broad Response
India lost no time. On Wednesday, it expelled Pakistan’s top diplomat, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and expelled him. It also sent all Pakistani defense diplomats packing. These were not the only actions.
New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty-a decades-old accord-on the grounds that Pakistan cannot look for cooperation while facilitating terrorism. It also closed the Attari land border and withdrew SAARC visa exceptions for Pakistani nationals. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra described this as a “decisive response to cross-border terrorism.” India made one thing clear: peace cannot accompany targeted violence.
Symbolism Drives Pakistan’s Military Optics
Pakistan is still denying connections to the Pahalgam attackers, following its responses to Pulwama and Uri. Nevertheless, its recent moves say more than words. Military exercises at Tilla Range, and then the missile test, are strategic signaling-rather than standard defense operations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned a high-level National Security Council meeting, indicating Islamabad wants to craft its next move carefully.
This missile test is a message-not only to India but to world powers. As both sides toughen their stance, South Asia now stands on the brink of new confrontation. The world needs to take notice before another spark ignites fire
source:Dailyguardian