by Meelit Sharma

‘India has been in a state of war with Pakistan since 1947’, actor Suniel Shetty made this statement in his 2004 movie, ‘Main Hoon Na’, in which he played the role of a court-martialed army officer, who later becomes a terrorist, hell-bent to stop ‘Project Milap’, a mutual act of releasing POWs by both the nations, as a gesture of peace between them.

Though what he said was somewhat true, this has never stopped state-assisted terrorists entering into the Indian territory. The ongoing proxy war will keep on going regardless of the change in leadership in the country, as it furthers its foreign policy goals in places like Jammu and Kashmir against the Indians. According to Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War journal, the Pakistani government is continuing with its policy, "The Strategy Of Strategic Depth", that it views everything through the lens of fighting India.

There are many people in India who think that war is the only solution to stop these border invasions and terror attacks in the country. But before we talk further about that, let’s see what will happen if India decides to wage war against Pakistan.

What Will Happen If India Invades Pakistan?

It is well-known fact that both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, and hence, it is very likely that the next war between these two nations will be a nuclear war. According to a report by Dhaka Tribune:
“If India and Pakistan decide to engage in a nuclear war, and they detonate 100 nuclear weapons (around half of their combined nuclear weapons), each equivalent to the 15-Kiloton bomb that was dropped in Hiroshima, more than 21 million people will be killed, and about half of the world’s protective ozone layer will be destroyed, causing a nuclear winter that will destroy the agriculture worldwide. Combined in India and Pakistan, the death toll will be 2,221 times more than the total number of Defence personnel and civilians killed by terrorists.”
Even if there is no nuclear war and both the nations refrain themselves from using nuclear weapons, there will be a huge amount of mass casualties, especially of military personnel and the residents of villages across the border. As India has a larger army and better fighting power, it is safe to say that India can defeat Pakistan in direct war any day, provided other nations choose not to support Pakistan.

And if other nations decide to support Pakistan, Indian allies will also join the war and the two-nation war can turn into a World War!

Comparison of India And Pakistan’s Military Strength

Though it is a well-known fact that India has much more military power in terms of troops, weapons, tanks and aircraft, according to this website, Pakistan has more nuclear weapons. Let’s take a look at military strength of both the nations:

India-Pakistan military strength comparison

Do You Think India Should Invade Pakistan?

This has always been a matter of debate between politicians and defence agencies that should India invade Pakistan or not. According to many Indians, war is the only solution to various issues such as terrorism, border disputes and Kashmir issue. However, a war is not just a matter of winning and losing. We should take a look at the greater picture. Even though odds are that India will eventually defeat Pakistan, India too will have to pay a heavy price. A war can effectively cripple the already sinking economy, as it a very costly affair. Also, millions of lives of troops and civilians will be lost, which is definitely not a price worth paying!