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ABSTRACT
Pakistan has always been an important factor in India’s domestic politics and foreign policy – a position that flows as much from historical disputes as from Pakistan’s continued support for terror activities against India. This importance has increased further under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. This article argues that the September 2016 ‘surgical strikes’ by Indian special forces inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the February 2019 ‘airstrikes’ by Indian Air Force against terrorist training camps at Balakot inside Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province were defining moments in India’s Pakistan policy. India’s actions stemmed from its desire to change the status-quo in India–Pakistan relations by punishing Pakistan for its continued use of terrorism. But this is ‘work in progress’ since there are certain limitations to India’s ability to compel Pakistan to alter its revisionist behaviour.