Increased Militarization on the Pakistan/India border

Increased Militarization on the Pakistan/India border: May 19th 2012

Increased militarization of the Pakistan-India border has led to politicians in both countries finding it hard to be sensible: even those who would like a resolution are susceptible to domestic pressure—the Indians from Hindu nationalists, and the Pakistanis not just from Muslim militants but also from the generals, who regard India as a military, not a political, problem.

Last month it announced that Pakistan had tested a new mobile missile designed to destroy invading tanks, thus increasing the risk that a border incursion could escalate into something much more dangerous. The head of Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence told parliament that he had already picked targets in India, and rehearsed attacks. This is a dangerous time: Pakistan’s militants are keen to show that Islamist terror will survive bin Laden’s death.