A media report has catalogued Pakistan's decades-long record of harbouring terrorists, military dominance over civilian governance, chronic loan dependency on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the systematic marginalisation of its own citizens as evidence of its failure to function as a responsible state. The analysis, published in The Global Kashmir and authored by AG Paul, argues that Pakistan's conduct — measured against any basic standard of national responsibility — has fallen short for generations.

The Terrorism Record

Paul's report draws on the international record rather than solely Indian government statements to make its case. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, the 2025 Pahalgam attack, the 2011 crackdown on Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden by American forces on Pakistani soil, and Islamabad's repeated listing on the global financial watchdog's grey list for weak action against terror financing are all cited as evidence that is, as Paul writes, 'not just India's claims.'

The author argues that using militants as a 'tool of policy' has generated severe blowback. 'Many of its own citizens have died at the hands of the same kind of groups the state once tolerated. Even its old friends have turned hostile,' the report noted, pointing to repeated armed skirmishes between Afghan Taliban forces and Pakistani troops along the border as a case in point.

Economy, Military Control, and Governance

On the economic front, the report highlights Pakistan's recurring dependence on IMF bailouts even as ordinary citizens struggle with high inflation and unreliable power supply. According to Paul, 'money and attention have gone into the army and into proxy games, not into schools, hospitals and jobs' — a structural misallocation that has compounded civilian hardship over decades.

The governance deficit is equally stark, the report argues. No elected Prime Minister in Pakistan's history has completed a full term in office, a pattern the author attributes to the military's firm grip over foreign and security policy. This, Paul contends, leaves the democratic voice of the Pakistani people too weak to demand a meaningful change of course.

Minorities and Internal Discrimination

The report also highlights the condition of religious minorities, noting that Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadis have faced prolonged discrimination. Paul argues that a nation unable to protect its smallest communities 'is not a safe home for anyone who thinks differently,' framing minority rights as an indicator of the broader health of the state.

India's Position and the Indus Waters Treaty

Drawing a contrast with India, the report recalls that New Delhi's repeated overtures — peace talks, trade initiatives, bus and train links — have consistently been met with cross-border terror attacks. Paul characterises India's decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance until Islamabad ends support for cross-border terrorism as a calibrated response rather than aggression, describing it as 'a country telling its neighbour that trust must be earned.'

The Path Forward

The report concludes with a set of prescriptions: Pakistan should dismantle terror groups operating on its soil, bring wanted individuals to trial, allow elected leaders to govern without military interference, and guarantee equal treatment for all citizens. Paul argues that peace across South Asia depends on these steps — and that Pakistan's own citizens are among those who most deserve the dividends of that peace.