Pakistan, a country often portrayed through the lens of political instability, economic turbulence, and internal strife, reveals a strikingly different character when confronted by external threats. While its streets may echo with the voices of dissent and disagreement, and while provinces, ethnic groups and political factions may spar over resources, representation or ideology, all these differences melt away in times of adversity.
It is in moments of external crisis that the true resilience and unity of Pakistan assert themselves — unmistakable, immovable and unmatched. The tragic incident in Pahalgam and the subsequent Indian accusations have triggered such a moment.
Pakistan is not merely responding with diplomacy and warnings; it is revealing something more formidable — national cohesion that transcends its internal contradictions. The warning issued by a federal minister, citing credible intelligence sources, about an impending Indian strike underscored the gravity of the situation, but more telling than the content of the warning was the spirit in which it was received across Pakistan. It did not deepen divisions. Instead, it catalysed a familiar, almost reflexive instinct: unity in defence of sovereignty.
Pakistan’s political culture is as vibrant as it is contentious. Yet, when the Indian threat looms, there is a visible recalibration across society. Political leaders who cannot agree on tax reforms or electoral procedures suddenly speak in unison about defending the motherland. This unity is not blind nationalism. It does not mean Pakistanis agree on everything. It is a conscious recalibration of priorities.
Foreign analysts often miss the critical point that Pakistan’s internal instability does not mean national fragility. Its ability to self-correct, mobilise and unify in response to external aggression is proof of a deeply resilient nation-state.
By attempting to isolate an incident like Pahalgam and use it to manufacture a pretext for aggression, India is underestimating both Pakistan’s resolve and its history of united resistance. That miscalculation could well be catastrophic for the region.
QAMAR BASHIR
ISLAMABAD
