India's Quest to Establish Surgical Strikes as a New-Normal against Nuclear Pakistan: A Self- Deception or New-Reality?

Abstract

This study aims to understand the rationale behind India's recent offensive approach against Pakistan. With the advent of new technologies, the conflict transformed were major wars converted minor war and sub-conventional warfare. Nevertheless, India introduced a new set of war fighting strategies to establish itself as a major military power in the South Asian region. The study concluded that,in line with its ambitious plans, India conducted a surgical strike deep inside Pakistan's territory in February2019 and tried to establish a new pattern of strategic engagement where sovereignty breach of nuclear-capable Pakistan will be a 'New-Normal' in India-Pakistan conflictual relations. Interestingly, India taking inspiration from the US and Israel, not only tried to introduce 'New-Normal' in order to alter the norms of sovereignty in South Asia but also went dangerously ahead of them and negated the entire logic of 'nuclear-deterrence' without considering the fact that no one including the US has ever tried to create 'New-Normal'in the situation of actual nuclear deterrence. Lastly and importantly, it is either 'Normal' to accept the logic of nuclear deterrence or 'Abnormal' to reject or negate it. Pakistan's befitting response made it clear that there is no space for the establishment of 'New-Normal' under a nuclear overhang.