On April 22, 2025, the scenic valley of Pahalgam, clasped in Kashmir’s snowy serenity, was ripped apart by a horrific attack by terrorists. Explosions rolled through the valley, and bullets drizzled upon tourists, casting a dark shadow of bloodshed and grief. Twenty six innocent lives were lost. The world mourned over it but behind the smoke and chaos of the attack, a gloomier truth awaited exposure. As condemnations poured in, the Indian leadership moved with astonishing speed, they did not investigate, but blamed. The critical fingers were pointed straight at Pakistan without forensic analysis and intelligence verification.

India killed its own civilians only to dress Pakistan in the clothes of a villain.

The Pahalgam incident, as evident was not an external attack. It was a composed false flag operation, a scary political theater written within the ‘walls of power’ in New Delhi. At the rudder of this false design stood the duo of RSS extremism and BJP’s political greed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its principal composer and director.

Modi’s objective was clear, to defame Pakistan, provoke chauvinistic hysteria, and gather votes in yet another election season. In the cruel corridors of Hindutva politics, the lives of innocent people were a price worth paying just for creating headlines and promoting Hindu ultra-nationalism. India killed its civilians only to dress Pakistan in the clothes of a villain. It was no doubt a crime beyond condemnation.

Empowered by fawning and cinema, Modi thought he was scripting a Bollywood movie, but he misunderstood that this time, the stage was real, and the stakes were nuclear.

On ‘May 7, 2025, the war drums turned to missiles.’ India launched uncalled-for strikes on Pakistan and targeted civilian population. In this cowardly aggression from India, dozens of women, children, and elderly embraced martyrdom. The very next day, India again did not stop its violent attempts and sent drones to finish what missiles failed to do but like always Pakistan’s air defense system stood tall and showed it capabilities. Each drone was intercepted and world saw them crashing like a fallen emblem of inflated pride.

However, Pakistan despite having complete right lawfully to retaliate in full force, showed extraordinary restraint. Initially on provocation of India, Pakistan approached global powers, urging them to inoculate sanity into the Indian war fever. But the world as often remained a observer to injustice.

After that, when India once again attempted to hit Pakistani airbases on May 10, 2025, Pakistan struck back openly, unapologetically, and surgically. This time, the world watched Pakistan’s retaliation of injustice in awe.

Pakistan despite having the right to retaliate in full force, showed extraordinary restraint.

The Pakistan’s response in three-day long aggression from India was not only defensive but it was decisive. On first day in matter of hours, six Indian aircraft including state-of-the-art Rafales, were shot down and destroyed by Pakistan. The sight of burning debris was not only a humiliation for India but a sobering moment for those who had sold impression as invincibility. In another incredible feat, ‘Israeli drones supporting India’s offensive were intercepted mid-air’. By this Pakistan has sent a clear message across Tel Aviv that “Pakistan is not Gaza.”

Moreover, on May 10 total, 26 strategic Indian military sites were demolished including the depots of ammunition, radar installations, airbases and other forward logistics hubs. All of these attacks in retaliation of injustice by India is documented and declared to the world. Pakistan has chosen transparency, unlike India’s dramatic propaganda. However, this situation was no minor skirmish. It was a loud strategic victory, for Pakistan’s military, its civilians, and its soul.

Despite India being involved, since long, to sow chaos within Pakistan, in this incident they have encountered a wall of ‘national unity’ stronger than steel. In those testing days, not only India but entire world has seen that every Pakistani, no matter, Shia or Sunni, Baloch or Punjabi, soldier or civilian, stood against Indian aggression as one body, one voice, one flag. The lines that adversaries tried to distort were redefined with patriotism. The foes, who dreamt of exploiting internal fault lines have seen a nation ‘reborn in resilience’, resonating the sacred creed that “we may disagree at home, but before the enemy, we are indivisible.”

The 2025 war has exposed many truths, most important among them, is the reality of India under Modi. World can no longer ignore that India is a state sponsoring terrorism within its own borders and beyond. Modi’s government has constantly chosen violence, public hatred, and regional destabilization over dialogue and diplomacy. It is now apparent to the world that from Gujarat to Kashmir, from Manipur to Pahalgam, blood trails follow Modi’s ‘ascent to power’.

‘Wars’ can never be the answer. It kills sons and daughters, destroys families and turns mothers into mourners. The ones who suffer in wars are not leaders but the common innocent soldiers, who give their lives fulfilling a duty they never chose. Will Modi walk to the frontlines? No. But his dirty politics has sent thousands there just to die and to leave behind broken families and orphaned futures.

Pakistan is not Gaza.

The world must awaken to the peril of fanatical leadership of Modi masked in the costume of nationalism. Modi is no visionary, he is just a power-drunk autocrat, a myth-making manipulator who plays with lives of people for political medals. The global community must identify that the threat he poses is not just to Pakistan, but to entire South Asia and global peace.

There should be no doubt that Pakistan is not a passive state. It is not defined by its GDP or weapon count. Rather it is defined by its people and their will and faith. Pakistan is a nation that was forged in war and sacrifice, it will never be subdued by theatrics or tyranny. This war was not initiated by Pakistan, but when imposed, it became a moment of reckoning. This incident should be served as a lesson to all those who confuse decency with weakness. Those who provoke war for power must remember, there are nations that do not fear death because they believe in martyrdom.

We may disagree at home, but before the enemy, we are indivisible.

This uncalled-for war has given a lesson that we must not speak in the language of Hindu or Muslim, of Punjabi or Tamil. We are all humans. And in that shared humanity, those should be held accountable who ‘cloak murder in nationalism’. The world must not fail again. Leaders like Modi must be stopped in time, before the next Pahalgam becomes another Hiroshima.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.