Ram Madhav: Pakistan’s Strategic Illusions Shattered

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, BJP leader Ram Madhav writes that India has shattered many long-held delusions of the Pakistan military. PM Modi’s stark warning—that any misadventure would lead to “total annihilation”—underscores India’s evolving strategic posture.

Over decades, Pakistan banked on nuclear blackmail and "strategic depth," especially through its ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban regime. But India’s diplomatic outreach to the Taliban since 2021 neutralized that advantage. Despite Pakistan’s long-term support to the Taliban, it failed to gain influence post-Kabul takeover.

Instead, Pakistan now faces armed clashes on its western front, with its military stretched thin across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. India’s targeting of the Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad—a critical facility linked to Pakistan’s air power and nuclear command—was a signal that nowhere is safe if India chooses to strike. With its western buffer gone and internal insurgencies mounting, Pakistan’s concept of strategic depth has inverted into strategic shrinkage.

The illusion of security through proxies has collapsed. India’s message is loud and clear: traditional threats will be met with modern warfare, and no sanctuary is beyond reach.