Archive · 24 Jul 2026
PoK unrest revives debate on Bharat's missed strategic opportunity
There is a debate about whether Bharat missed a chance to change the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) before Pakistan got nuclear weapons.
General Sundarji, a former army chief, wanted Bharat to be able to take offensive actions.
He planned big military exercises like Operation Brasstacks, which some think was a cover for a plan to take PoK's Northern Areas.
Pakistan's leader, General Zia-ul-Haq, used diplomacy to delay and avoid direct conflict.
Now, with unrest in PoK, people are asking if Bharat should have acted earlier.
Unrest in PoK revives debate on Bharat's missed opportunity to alter the territorial status quo before Pakistan acquired nuclear weapons.
General Krishnaswamy Sundarji transformed the Indian Army's strategic mindset, emphasizing offensive maneuvers and technological modernization.
Operation Brasstacks was a large-scale military exercise in Rajasthan in 1986-87, potentially concealing plans for Operation Trident to capture PoK's Northern Areas.
General Zia-ul-Haq used 'cricket diplomacy' to project Pakistan as the more restrained actor and gain diplomatic leverage.
The debate continues on whether capturing Skardu or Gilgit would have altered the trajectory of the Kashmir issue and South Asia's strategic landscape.
- Who
- General Krishnaswamy Sundarji, General Zia-ul-Haq, Bharat, Pakistan
- What
- Debate on Bharat's missed opportunity to alter the territorial status quo in PoK before Pakistan acquired nuclear weapons.
- When
- 1980s, with current unrest in PoK reviving the debate.
- Where
- Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Bharat, Pakistan
- Why
- To assess whether Bharat missed a strategic opportunity to alter the territorial status quo in PoK.
Proponents of Strategic Action
Advocates of Status Quo
Military Action in PoK
Proponents of Strategic Action
Bharat should have taken military action to alter the territorial status quo in PoK before Pakistan acquired nuclear weapons.
Advocates of Status Quo
Maintaining the status quo is preferable to risking a nuclear conflict with Pakistan.
- General Krishnaswamy Sundarji
- Former Chief of Army Staff known for transforming the Indian Army's strategic mindset.
- Operation Brasstacks
- Large-scale military exercise conducted in Rajasthan in 1986-87.
- Operation Trident
- Proposed military operation to capture PoK's Northern Areas, including Skardu and Gilgit.
- General Zia-ul-Haq
- Military ruler of Pakistan during the 1980s, known for his strategic maneuvers.
- Cricket Diplomacy
- Pakistan's strategy to project itself as the more restrained actor and gain diplomatic leverage.