{"id":1413,"date":"2025-05-22T00:11:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T00:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1413"},"modified":"2025-05-22T00:11:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T00:11:45","slug":"pakistans-generals-get-a-reputational-boost-foreign-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/?p=1413","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan\u2019s Generals Get a Reputational Boost \u2013 Foreign Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Welcome to\u00a0<em>Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s South Asia Brief.<\/p>\n<p>The highlights this week: <strong>Pakistan\u2019s military <\/strong>sees its political fortunes improve after the recent conflict with India, <strong>U.S.-India trade talks<\/strong> keep moving with the Indian commerce minister in Washington, and India announces import restrictions on <strong>goods from Bangladesh<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-fallback\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/south-asia-brief\/\">Sign up<\/a>  to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.            <\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-shortcode-newsletter=\"south_asia_brief\" class=\"newsletter-unit-signup newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode email-capture--step-1 newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-shortcode-south_asia_brief\">\n<div class=\"show-on-email-capture--signed-up hide-from-newsletter-subscriber newsletter-unit-signup--shortcode--container\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-unit newsletters-page newsletter-row\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-south_asia_brief\">\n<h2 class=\"dek-heading\">Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every Wednesday.<\/h2>\n<p>\n                        <button class=\"button\">Sign Up<\/button>\n                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"grid--flex newsletter-south_asia_brief newsletter-signup-container\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"South Asia Brief sign up form\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"buttons\">\n<div class=\"hide-from-newsletter-subscriber privacy-policy-container\">\n<div class=\"privacy-policy-acknowledge\">\n<p><small>By submitting your email, you agree to the <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n    <label for=\"email-south_asia_brief\">Enter your email<\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" class=\"hide-from-reg hide-from-sub\" id=\"email-south_asia_brief\" aria-required=\"true\" required=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    <button class=\"button button--signup \" data-newsletter-id=\"south_asia_brief\" data-sourceid=\"In-article unit\">Sign Up<\/button>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Munir\u2019s Moment in the Sun<\/h3>\n<p>A Gallup Pakistan <a href=\"https:\/\/gallup.com.pk\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Public-Opinion-After-India-Pakistan-Ceasefire-Comprehensive-Report-10.pdf\">poll<\/a> released on May 21 found that 93 percent of Pakistanis said that their view of their military improved after the country\u2019s recent conflict with India. Meanwhile, 97 percent deemed the military\u2019s performance to be \u201cvery good\u201d or \u201cgood\u201d\u2014positive news for Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir.<\/p>\n<p>After the May 10 cease-fire that ended the latest violence, Pakistanis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1910383\">took to the streets<\/a> to celebrate, shouting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1910253\">pro-military slogans<\/a>. The crowds included members and supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has been locked in a confrontation with the military since the 2023 arrest of party leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.<\/p>\n<p>Khan, in <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ImranKhanPTI\/status\/1922335065117495666\">comments<\/a> posted on his X account, even called on the nation to embrace the military, which has benefited from the rally-around-the-flag effect.<\/p>\n<p>However, this outpouring of support may also seem odd, given what happened during the crisis: Pakistan was hit hard, as India deployed missiles and drones deep into Pakistani territory. New Delhi\u2019s initial strikes targeted multiple terrorist sites, and subsequent attacks struck sensitive facilities in major cities\u2014including an airbase in Rawalpindi, home to Pakistan\u2019s military headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>It was the most force that India has unleashed on Pakistan\u2014in terms of intensity and range of locations\u2014since a war between the two countries in 1971. But what others might see as humiliation Pakistanis view as a victimization and a victory\u2014both of which bolster its powerful military.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistani officials have pushed the narrative that Pakistan was punished\u2014with brutal force, including assaults that <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/26-dead-pakistan-overnight-india-attacks-military\/story?id=121548110\">killed innocent civilians<\/a>\u2014for something that it didn\u2019t do. India has blamed Pakistan for an April 22 terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, using that alleged complicity as justification for its strikes in Pakistan. Islamabad denies any involvement in the Kashmir attack.<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan retaliated with its own strikes in India; it claims that it shot down several <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/08\/india-pakistan-rafale-strikes-us-russia-china\/\">Indian fighter jets<\/a>. New Delhi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/indian-air-force-says-losses-are-part-combat-all-pilots-back-home-2025-05-11\/\">neither confirmed nor denied<\/a> this report, but it was <a href=\"https:\/\/theaviationist.com\/2025\/05\/07\/indian-rafale-shot-down-photos\/\">confirmed<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/pakistans-chinese-made-jet-brought-down-two-indian-fighter-aircraft-us-officials-2025-05-08\/\">Western officials<\/a>. Pakistanis regard their tough response as a major triumph. More broadly, the crisis validated the Pakistani military\u2019s self-professed role as the prime protector against an ever-present Indian threat.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Pakistan\u2019s military scored geopolitical wins: U.S. President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/donald-trump-offers-resolve-kashmir-dispute-2070633\">called<\/a> for a solution to the Kashmir dispute, effectively internationalizing the issue\u2014an outcome long sought by the Pakistani Army. The rapid intensification of hostilities also shifted the international community\u2019s attention to nuclear escalation risks and away from India\u2019s concern about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>This all stands in sharp contrast to recent years, when massive military clampdowns against the PTI and Khan\u2014Pakistan\u2019s most popular politician\u2014spawned some of the sharpest anti-military sentiment in Pakistan in decades. Two years ago, Pakistani protesters attacked military facilities in a few cities after Khan was arrested.<\/p>\n<p>Economic stress and surging terrorist attacks in Pakistan, coupled with anger about repression and exploitative investments in the provinces of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/china-pakistan-economic-corridor-sparks-pakistan-protests\/a-69941212\">Balochistan <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-in\/news\/world\/pashtun-tahafuz-movement-holds-massive-rally-to-protest-military-operations-in-khyber-pakhtunkhwa\/ar-BB1oQ6Xu?ocid=BingNewsVerp\">Khyber Pakhtunkhwa<\/a>, have put further pressure on the military. Social media campaigns, including those waged from abroad, have amplified anger at the institution and especially at Munir.<\/p>\n<p>Munir has now emerged as one of the biggest winners of the latest India-Pakistan conflict, and he has opportunities to leverage his regained goodwill: He could pursue reconciliation with the political opposition, seek public buy-in for an expensive counterterrorism operation, or push for politically risky but essential economic reforms.<\/p>\n<p>However, the uncompromising Munir\u2014emboldened by the military\u2019s change of fortune\u2014will likely take it as carte blanche to double down on the repressive policies that have generated hostility, especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where post-crisis support for the military <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/5\/20\/how-conflict-with-india-helped-boost-the-pakistan-militarys-domestic-image\">has been more muted<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On May 20, Pakistan announced Munir\u2019s promotion to field marshal\u2014an honor conferred only once before in 1959, on military dictator Ayub Khan. This development will galvanize Munir\u2019s critics, who will see it as a case of a strongman exploiting a crisis to bolster his power. Munir\u2019s clout has been fortified, but his political gains could be fleeting.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>What We\u2019re Following<\/h3>\n<p><strong>India-Pakistan narrative battle.<\/strong> In the wake of their latest conflict, <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/politics-and-nation\/centre-releases-list-of-50-mps-to-lead-indias-voice-globally-post-operation-sindoor-shashi-tharoor-supriya-sule-lead-from-opposition\/articleshow\/121241001.cms?from=mdr\">India<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1911791\">Pakistan<\/a> have each announced that a group of prominent individuals, mainly senior politicians and former top diplomats, will travel the world in the coming days to get international buy-in for their governments\u2019 positions on the crisis.<\/p>\n<p>India\u2019s delegation\u2014led by Shashi Tharoor, an opposition figure and prominent thought leader\u2014will emphasize Pakistan\u2019s cross-border terrorism. Pakistan\u2019s team\u2014led by former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari\u2014will focus attention on Indian aggression and Pakistan\u2019s position of peace. Tharoor and Bhutto, along with others in their delegations, have extensive global links, especially to the West.<\/p>\n<p>Each government has a strong incentive to take its respective case abroad. India, which generally prefers that the world not get involved in its bilateral disputes, is concerned that the escalation has distracted attention from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Meanwhile, Pakistan aims to use the opportunity to emphasize the importance of resolving the Kashmir dispute.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, India\u2019s advocacy has tended to get more traction on the global stage\u2014in part because it enjoys more global influence than Pakistan, as a rising power with a fast-growing economy. India\u2019s concerns about terrorism have also long resonated in many key global capitals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>U.S.-India trade talks.<\/strong> Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-ph\/money\/topstories\/india-us-eye-breakthrough-in-trade-talks-as-piyush-goyal-visits-washington-this-weekend\/ar-AA1EJLdE?ocid=finance-verthp-feeds\">visited<\/a> Washington recently for the latest round of U.S.-India trade talks; Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/2025\/02\/united-states-india-joint-leaders-statement\/\">decided<\/a> to pursue a comprehensive trade deal in February. New Delhi hopes to work out a deal before a 90-day pause on Trump\u2019s so-called reciprocal tariffs ends in July. (Trump initially imposed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ndtv.com\/india-news\/26-us-tariffs-on-india-to-hit-domestic-players-top-exporters-body-8073670\">26 percent tariff<\/a> on India.)<\/p>\n<p>The trade talks have seemingly gone well so far, and Trump and other top U.S. officials have recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/04\/29\/trump-india-trade-deal-bessent-south-korea-japan.html\">said<\/a> that a deal is close. However, the India-Pakistan crisis has raised questions about the status of the negotiations. Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/news\/india\/i-said-lets-do-some-trade-trump-reaffirms-claim-of-brokering-india-pakistan-military-truce\/articleshow\/121144312.cms?from=mdr\">claims<\/a> that he used trade as a pressure tactic to get India and Pakistan to stop fighting; New Delhi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/asia\/india-disputes-trumps-claim-trade-incentives-led-pakistan-ceasefire-rcna206686\">rejects<\/a> the assertion.<\/p>\n<p>Other recent comments by Trump\u2014including his public pitch to resolve the Kashmir issue\u2014haven\u2019t gone over well with India. Still, it\u2019s unlikely that the trade talks will be affected, as the Trump administration wants them to succeed. And India, fearing a tariff snapback, needs them to succeed.<\/p>\n<p><em>Bloomberg<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-05-19\/india-sees-multi-phase-trade-deal-with-us-as-talks-proceed\">reported<\/a> this week that the talks are indeed on track, with the two sides aiming to conclude an initial phase of the deal in July and a broader second phase accord expected sometime this fall.<\/p>\n<p><strong>India reduces imports from Bangladesh.<\/strong> India <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/industry\/transportation\/shipping-\/-transport\/india-notifies-port-restriction-move-on-bangladeshi-exports\/articleshow\/121288354.cms?from=mdr\">announced<\/a> this week that it will restrict imports of Bangladeshi readymade garments and other products that arrive in India via northeastern trade routes, from processed foods to furniture. Indian reports <a href=\"https:\/\/economictimes.indiatimes.com\/industry\/transportation\/shipping-\/-transport\/india-notifies-port-restriction-move-on-bangladeshi-exports\/articleshow\/121288354.cms?from=mdr\">suggest<\/a> that the move is retaliation for Bangladeshi leader Muhammad Yunus\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/yunus-pitch-to-china-indias-n-e-landlocked-bangladesh-is-your-gateway-9917020\/\">comments<\/a> during a recent visit to China about India\u2019s landlocked northeastern states.<\/p>\n<p>India took offense to Yunus\u2019s statement, viewing it as an attempt to minimize the significance of the northeast\u2014a region as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/09\/11\/world\/asia\/india-manipur-conflict.html\">volatile<\/a> as it is <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/guwahati\/chickens-neck-explained-why-this-narrow-corridor-is-crucial-for-indias-connectivity-and-regional-security\/articleshow\/119897029.cms\">strategic<\/a>\u2014and to diminish Indian connectivity projects that aim to facilitate greater access to northeastern states.<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi\u2019s move could be costly for Dhaka. Readymade garments are Bangladesh\u2019s most important export. Transport costs could rise significantly by having to reroute the goods, mainly via seaports. Still, Bangladesh is now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/bangladesh-pakistan-resume-direct-trade-after-more-than-50-years-2025-02-24\/\">increasing<\/a> trade with Pakistan, which could help limit the damage\u2014though its trade volume with Pakistan is much lower than that with India.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>FP\u2019s Most Read This Week<\/h3>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Under the Radar<\/h3>\n<p>This week, Reliance Power\u2014part of the large Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fortuneindia.com\/business-news\/anil-ambanis-reliance-power-to-build-bhutans-largest-solar-power-project\/123219\">announced<\/a> a new venture with the investment arm of Bhutan\u2019s government to jointly develop what is described as Bhutan\u2019s largest solar power project. The facility is expected to have an installed capacity of 500 megawatts and will reportedly be completed in two years.<\/p>\n<p>Reliance Power is led by Anil Ambani, the younger brother of Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries. Mukesh Ambani is not as closely linked to Modi as another prominent Indian billionaire, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/world\/indian-billionaire-gautam-adanis-business-empire-at-risk-amid-u-s-indictment-for-fraud-bribery\">Gautam Adani<\/a>, but he has recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/mukesh-ambani-praises-pm-narendra-modis-leadership-energy-reliance-industries-india-news-101738069442197.html\">gone out of his way<\/a> to praise the premier.<\/p>\n<p>There is reason to believe that Mukesh Ambani wants to align Reliance\u2019s business objectives with Modi\u2019s policy priorities. In that regard, the Bhutan investment makes a lot of sense: India is looking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mea.gov.in\/press-releases.htm?dtl\/38700\/Joint_Statement_on_the_Official_Visit_of_His_Majesty_The_King_of_Bhutan_Jigme_Khesar_Namgyel_Wangchuck__to_India_0506_December_2024\">expand<\/a> commercial cooperation with the country, a close partner and one of the only countries in the region not currently experiencing any tensions with New Delhi.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h3>Regional Voices<\/h3>\n<p>In\u00a0<em>Himal Southasian<\/em>,\u00a0journalist\u00a0<strong>Meghna Rao<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.himalmag.com\/culture\/banu-mushtaq-booker-heart-lamp-deepa-bhasthi\">examines<\/a>\u00a0what Banu Mushtaq, who won the International Booker Prize this week, represents for Kannada-language literature. \u201cMushtaq was radical not just in what she wrote about \u2026 but also in how she wrote it,\u201d Rao writes. \u201cHers was a direct, confrontational writing, rather than one reliant on allegory and myth, in a rejection of the otherwise Sanskritised literary forms then predominant in Kannada.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the\u00a0<em>Print<\/em>, scholar\u00a0<strong>Sana Hashmi<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theprint.in\/opinion\/eye-on-china\/china-is-playing-saviour-for-pakistan-this-time-with-water-diplomacy\/2632115\/\">writes<\/a> about how online Chinese discourse is using hydropower to position China as Pakistan\u2019s savior against India. \u201cFor Beijing, water diplomacy serves both to bolster Pakistan\u2019s defences against Indian influence and to safeguard its investments and interests in the CPEC,\u201d Hashmi says. \u201cFor India, the prospect of a two-front challenge has rarely felt more concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the\u00a0<em>Daily Star<\/em>,\u00a0journalist\u00a0<strong>Mohammad Al-Masum Molla<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailystar.net\/opinion\/views\/news\/the-price-unchecked-protest-politics-3899976\">reflects<\/a>\u00a0on the violent turn that Bangladesh\u2019s street protests have taken. \u201cWhat was once a means of voicing collective grievances has turned into a spectacle that is chaotic, disruptive, and at times alarmingly close to being anarchist,\u201d he writes. \u201cThis shift reflects a deeper crisis: the breakdown of institutional governance.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><em>Anusha Rathi contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/05\/21\/pakistan-military-india-conflict-boost-munir\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to\u00a0Foreign Policy\u2019s South Asia Brief. The highlights this week: Pakistan\u2019s military sees its political fortunes improve after the recent conflict with India, U.S.-India trade talks keep moving with the Indian commerce minister in Washington, and India announces import restrictions on goods from Bangladesh. Sign up to receive South Asia Brief in your inbox every [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1413","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politcical-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/firearmupgrades.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}