WHEN India launched Operation Sindoor on the pretext of `avenging` the Pahalgam attack, it did not anticipate the scale, precision and political weight of Pakistan`s reaction. What followed was not merely a military exchange.

Perhaps a lot more commendable, and indicative of real statesmanship, was the manner in which Pakistan handled the diplomatic dimension. India appeared diplomatically cornered, with the Kashmir issue, long relegated to the backburner, roaringback right to theforefront of internationalconsciousness.

For years, India has sought to paint the lingering conflict as a closed chapter, using constitutional manoeuvers and demographic engineering to suppress dissent.

But the intensity of this recent crisis, and Pakistan`s clear linkage of regional peace to Kashmir`s unresolved status has forced a reappraisal.

For once, the ceasefire is not merely a break in hostilities; it is a political opportunity. Pakistan, having exposed Indian miscalculations and reasserted credible deterrence, has opened the door for a new regional discourse. This is Pakistan`s moment of strategic clarity, and it has exercised it with the composure of a nation that has matured under pressure.

In essence, Pakistan has not only restored balance in the region, but has done so while exposing the hubris of its adversary. The world is watching, and, perhaps for the first time in decades, it is listening to Pakistan with renewed seriousness.

Majid Burfat Karachi