In the early hours of May 7, India breached a dangerous threshold. Its fighter jets violated Pakistan’s sovereignty, striking deep into Azad Kashmir and eyeing Pakistan proper. One of the reported targets was the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Plant: a civilian energy facility vital to the country’s power grid and the lives that depend on it. This was not a defensive maneuver but a calculated escalation disguised as a response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, for which India has yet to provide a shred of credible evidence. Instead of pursuing truth or investigation, New Delhi chose theatrics. First came the diplomatic expulsions, then the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and now these airstrikes, part of what Indian media has dubbed “Operation Sindoor.” Pakistan did not remain silent. In a swift and disciplined response, the Pakistan Air Force launched precision counter-strikes across the Line of Control and beyond. Multiple Indian military installations were reportedly damaged. More importantly, Pakistan’s message was clear: it does not seek war, but it will not tolerate aggression. This measured but firm retaliation underscored the professionalism and preparedness of our armed forces who once again proved their capability in defending the nation without escalating recklessly. But this episode is about more than just military exchanges. India’s targeting of a civilian dam should have rung alarm bells around the world. The Neelum-Jhelum facility’s selection as a target represents a chilling shift: the weaponization of water and infrastructure as tools of coercion. The silence of global institutions is deafening. Had the roles been reversed, the outrage would be swift and sustained. That double standard must end. Pakistan has exercised restraint. But restraint must not be mistaken for passivity. If red lines are crossed again, Islamabad will respond. With clarity and resolve. At the same time, it is the ordinary people (on both sides of the border) who bear the cost of this manufactured brinkmanship. While leaders play to galleries and chase headlines, it is families, farmers, and workers who suffer most. If Prime Minister Modi truly seeks regional peace as his facade of leading the largest and most vibrant democracy, he must rise above falsehood, abandon spectacle, and embrace the discipline of restraint. The alternative is a region that edges ever closer to irreversible consequences. *