The drone attack on the Jammu Air Force base on June 27 adds a predictable twist to tentative peace moves by India and Pakistan, putting at risk backchannel diplomacy for ensuring a ceasefire along the LoC. However, both sides want the ceasefire, which has given the rival armies a respite from daily casualties. India, too, doesn’t want a two-front war, despite assertions by certain generals that India can take on both Pakistan and China simultaneously.
Luckily, damage in the Jammu attack was minimal—the explosives narrowly missed a hangar with several helicopters in it. Since it was estimated to have been launched from Indian territory, no one is tracing this back to Pakistan. But, say experts, this underlines drones to be a clear and present danger.
Though it is in the interest of India and Pakistan to keep the LoC quiet, neither government is in the mood for a broader peace plan. From the Pakistani perspective, Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot climb down from his maximalist position on Kashmir. Furthermore, though Pakistan’s army chief...
