The terror attack at the Pathankot air base has exposed chinks in the armour. The Air Force and security personnel were clearly caught napping and a force of about six terrorists literally jumped over the wall to launch the attack. Now to cover up this serious lapse, the armed forces have demanded a shift in Pakistan policy. This is something that ought to be decided by the civilian leadership and not generals and the Narandra Modi government is on the right track on this issue. Although a link is sought to be made between Modi’s stopover at Lahore and the attack it is a twist given by those who want to embarrass the prime minister rather than think deeply on ties between the two countries. Pakistan will continue with its ‘thousand cuts’ policy, but the onus on ensuring that we do not bleed to death lies with us. Peaceful ties with Pakistan is an elusive goal and it would be more pragmatic to pursue a policy of engaging with the civilian government and simultaneously strengthening the security and intelligence gathering apparatus.
