AS Dulat, former head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has admitted that India’s prolonged attempts to diplomatically isolate Pakistan on the global stage have not succeeded, despite persistent efforts to frame Pakistan within a terrorism-related narrative. In an interview with a British news outlet, Dulat revealed that India has pursued this goal since the outset but has been unable to achieve it, even after employing international lobbying, leveraging resources, and utilizing proxy channels.
Relations between Pakistan and India have remained largely stagnant in recent years, with diplomatic ties effectively frozen. The two neighbors have also witnessed border clashes and a brief but intense 87-hour conflict last year. During this conflict in May 2025, Pakistan reportedly shot down eight Indian fighter jets, including four French-made Rafale aircraft, one Su-30, one MiG-29, one Mirage 2000, and an expensive multi-role unmanned aerial vehicle, along with dozens of drones.
The hostilities concluded on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. Following the conflict, Pakistan positioned itself as a regional stabilizer, mediating between the US and Iran. This mediation led to a fragile 14-day ceasefire that was subsequently extended, highlighting Pakistan’s role in regional diplomacy.
During the interview, Dulat challenged the common Indian belief that Pakistan would eventually fragment, asserting firmly that such a disintegration would never occur. He further suggested that the regional dynamics indicated India was increasingly facing diplomatic and political isolation itself.
Regarding Pakistan’s military leadership, Dulat noted that Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir was gaining significant international recognition. He claimed that the US president had referred to Munir as his “favourite field marshal.” Former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir following the ceasefire and Pakistan’s hosting of negotiations between the US and Iran.
Dulat emphasized that Pakistan’s balanced, proactive, and responsible diplomatic efforts as a mediator had enhanced its reputation in the international community. On the issue of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), he highlighted the ongoing unrest, uncertainty, and sense of deprivation among the local population as a less visible but critical dimension of the conflict.
