Kargil Vijay Diwas: 'Pakistan's Problem Isn't Kashmir, It's India's Rise,' Says American Political Analyst

Published 26 July 2026 · us

Kargil Vijay Diwas: 'Pakistan's Problem Isn't Kashmir, It's India's Rise,' Says American Political Analyst Published By, Last Updated: July 26, 2026, 17:10 IST On Kargil

Kargil Vijay Diwas: 'Pakistan's Problem Isn't Kashmir, It's India's Rise,' Says American Political Analyst Published By, Last Updated: July 26, 2026, 17:10 IST On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Christina Fair argues Pakistan's rivalry with India goes beyond Kashmir, claiming its core concern is India's rise. The capture of Tololing and Point 5140 fundamentally changed the geometry of the Kargil conflict. (Image: ANI) As the country marks the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas on Saturday, the anniversary has once again drawn attention to the troubled history of India-Pakistan relations and the repeated breakdown of peace efforts between the two neighbours. Despite India’s repeated attempts to improve ties, relations have often been disrupted by military action, cross-border terrorism or acts of betrayal, creating lasting mistrust between the two countries. Against this backdrop, American political analyst Christina Fair has argued that Pakistan’s conflict with India extends beyond the Kashmir issue. ‘Pakistan’s problem is India’s rise’ According to Fair, Pakistan’s problem is “not just Kashmir" but India’s growing influence in the South Asia region.

She argues that even if the Kashmir dispute were resolved, Pakistan would continue to confront India. “If Kashmir was resolved tomorrow, would Pakistan stop confronting India? According to Christina Fair, the answer is a big NO," the analysis said. Beyond the Kashmir dispute Christina Fair pointed to Pakistan’s own military narrative to explain her argument. According to her, Pakistan continues to project itself as a country capable of challenging India’s rise in South Asia despite the outcome of the 1971 war. She highlights the narrative by saying, “Even after losing the 1971 war and losing half of the country, Pakistan claims it was not defeated and remains the only power capable of challenging India’s rise in South Asia." Fair argued that Kashmir represents only one aspect of a much broader rivalry between the two countries. “Pakistan’s problem is not just KASHMIR. It is India’s RISE": Christina FairIf Kashmir was resolved tomorrow, would Pakistan stop confronting India?

According to Christina Fair, the answer is a big NO. Fair highlights Pakistan’s own military narrative: “Even after losing the… pic.twitter.com/LeWmv7h6iV — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) July 21, 2026 According to her analysis, Pakistan’s larger objective is to challenge India’s growing strength and prevent it from emerging as the dominant power in South Asia. India commemorates the 27th anniversary of the Kargil War, remembering the soldiers who fought in the conflict. The anniversary also serves as a reminder of the repeated setbacks in India-Pakistan relations despite efforts to improve bilateral ties. Last year, India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Conducted on the night of May 7-8, the operation carried out precise, limited and non-escalatory strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation targeted nine terror camps linked to Pakistani terrorist groups, particularly The Resistance Front (TRF) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shuddhanta Patra Shuddhanta Patra, a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience, serves as Senior Sub‑Editor at CNN News 18.