The nuclear-armed rivals are also wrangling over Pakistan’s access to desperately needed foreign aid, as India explores ways to use its soft power and relationships to bedevil its old enemy.According to The New York Times, the nuclear-armed rivals of India and Pakistan are currently engaged in a dispute over Pakistan’s access to foreign aid, while India is using its soft power and relationships to cause trouble for its old enemy.
As India prepared to retaliate against Pakistan for a terrorist attack in Kashmir last month, the government was also pursuing other forms of power projection. These methods are more subtle and refined, and are primarily aimed at exploiting Pakistan’s economic vulnerabilities.
On May 9, the executive board of the International Monetary Fund is set to meet near the White House. Indian officials have hinted that they will make a case for the Fund to deny a $7 billion loan extension to Pakistan, which is crucial for stabilizing the country’s finances and providing essential services to its people. There are also reports that India may target other potential sources of Pakistani aid.
Even before the recent strikes against Pakistan, India had been testing new ways to harm its old enemy. On April 23, India withdrew from a river-sharing treaty that has been protecting Pakistan’s water supply since 1960. Pakistan has condemned this move as an act of war.
India has also been using its softer power tactics. As tensions escalated after the Kashmir attack, India restricted access to Pakistani musicians and cricketers on Indian social media, similar to how it blocked Chinese-owned TikTok after a border clash with China in 2020. India also announced a complete halt to trade between the two countries, although in reality, there was not much trade to begin with. Some Indian exporters claim they never received a legal notice from the government, so they are still fulfilling their contracts.
In summary, India is using a combination of military and non-military tactics to put pressure on Pakistan. These actions have caused tensions to rise between the two countries, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold in the coming weeks.
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