In the murky waters of South Asian politics, India has once again risen to the challenge of portraying itself as a victim, an act that is becoming all too familiar. This week, we witnessed a fresh wave of its antics, as a series of misleading accusations emerged, first from its army chief and then its defence minister, adding new chapters to the troubling legacy. Cutting through the smoke and mirrors and exposing the hollow narrative, Pakistan’s military gave a befitting response, calling out its extreme duplicity for “blaming Pakistan for indigenous reaction to state-sponsored brutality.” Intended to divert attention from India’s own entanglements in transboundary terrorism, New Delhi perhaps wishes to make light of the well-documented evidence of its long-standing policy of utilizing irregular warfare as a strategic instrument in its geopolitical toolkit. Before accusing Pakistan of being the sole aggressor, wouldn’t it have been wise to remember the Kulbhushan Jadhav episode and how its external intelligence agency has perpetually remained involved in orchestrating terrorist activities in Balochistan. This is far from the behaviour of a nation claiming to occupy the moral high ground. And what of the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir? India clings desperately to the illusion that peace has been achieved, but the grim realities on the ground tell a different story. According to a Kashmir Media Service report, 96,340 Kashmiris have been killed in IOK since 1989, including 7,347 in fake encounters and custodial deaths. With an estimated 700,000 troops deployed in the IOK, fear has become the governing reality for the local population. Peace? An unattainable dream. What prevails is rampant militarization and a culture of impunity entrenched in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. Arbitrary detentions and torture continue unabated, disproving any claims from India regarding stability or security. International bodies have persistently called for rigorous investigations into these serious violations. Ergo, it’s high time for India to recognise that its rhetoric fails to align with the reality in Kashmir, where the ongoing cycle of violence is fueled, not alleviated, by military might. Even if the Modi administration believes that its continuous projection of itself as a victim can shift the focus away, the world is still watching. Increased economic and diplomatic clout might provide a temporary facade to rationalize its military operations in Kashmir, but it cannot deflect attention from substantive discussions about human rights or the urgent need for a negotiated political settlement. This scapegoating strategy cannot persist indefinitely. As for Indo-Pak peace, any genuine progress requires an end to this blame-shifting. The ball is now in their court. *