The political responses, from the opposition as well as the Union government, suggest that the playbook on Pakistan, which is already seeing a subtle makeover, is poised for a major reset. An enraged US put Pakistan on notice and unleashed a war which led to the ejection of the Taliban from Afghanistan. But what they have overlooked is that along the way the Americans have all but formally blackballed Pakistan as a terror state. Pakistan has already lost its veto right over India’s engagement with the rest of the world barring China. The next few months will reveal what else will Pakistan have sacrificed in its pursuit of a zero-sum game.

Source: Mint February 17, 2019 17:37 UTC