Aishwaria Sonavane

Bangalore

Senior Geopolitical Risk Analyst at Freelance

Everything is political | Pakistan Researcher @TakshashilaInst | Bylines: @the_hindu @Diplomat_APAC @thewire_in @TheQuint, @deccanherald @newslaundry @ndtv

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Articles

Opinion: Opinion | How China Has Been Blocking India's UNSC Actions Since The 2000s

2 weeks ago | ndtv.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

In the India-Pakistan strategic dynamic, China has emerged as an inextricable third actor, turning a bilateral rivalry into a triangular matter. While military escalation in the subcontinent does not align with Beijing's strategic interests, its pro-Pakistan leanings often manifest on international platforms. Most recently, China blocked the designation of The Resistance Front (TRF), an alleged offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), following the 2025 Pahalgam attack.
Understanding the Escalation Ladder: Playbooks in the India-Pakistan Rivalry

3 weeks ago | pakistanpaigham.substack.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

Military tensions between India and Pakistan may have calmed, but both states remain engaged in diplomatic maneuvering to advance their respective narratives to the international community. Delegations from both sides are currently holding active diplomatic engagements abroad. While active conflict has subsided, there is still much to unpack from the military confrontation that unfolded last month.
Opinion: Opinion | Why India Should Focus On FATF And Not IMF Bailouts To Pakistan

1 month ago | ndtv.com | Aishwaria Sonavane |Anisree Suresh

On May 9, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the disbursement of another $1 billion to Pakistan under its latest Extended Fund Facility (EFF), reinstating Pakistan's dependence on international bailouts. As a country with a high dependence on imported oil, whenever oil prices hike or international borrowing declines, Islamabad's reserves take a further hit.
Deadlock in Dossier Diplomacy?

1 month ago | pakistanpaigham.substack.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

From drone incursions to diplomatic overtures aimed at the international community, the India-Pakistan conflict has evolved in form, but the hostilities remain intact. With an ever-expanding demographic engaging with this conflict – from living rooms gatherings to policy circles huddles – there’s an ever-existing attempt to make sense of its many layers.
Opinion: Opinion | How Pakistan Built Its Deep Infrastructure For 'Proxy' Terror

1 month ago | ndtv.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

On May 7, India launched 'Operation Sindoor,' a precision missile strike campaign targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab Province. The operation focused on nine key locations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) headquarters, Markaz Taiba, in Muridke, nearly 50 kilometres from Lahore, and Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) Subhan Allah Mosque complex in Bahawalpur.
Opinion: Opinion | There's A Caveat In Pak's Suspension Of Simla Pact

1 month ago | ndtv.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

Teetering on the edge of diplomatic downgrade and outright severance, India-Pakistan relations plunged into freefall following the 22 April tourist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Citing Pakistan's alleged role in the violence in the Valley, India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) responded with measures signalling a freeze on political, cultural, and diplomatic engagement.
After Pahalgam, India Faces Tough Security and Diplomatic Choices

2 months ago | thediplomat.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

Previously, militants targeted security personnel through ambush-style assaults or hit-and-run gun attacks on the Pandit community. The attack in Pahalgam was aimed at tourists. Subscribe for ads-free reading The tranquility of the meadows of Baisaran in Pahalgam, an exemplar of Kashmir’s touristic revival, was violently disrupted on April 22, when militants, in a targeted attack on tourists, killed at least 26 people, including foreign nationals, and wounded many others.
India-Pakistan Diplomatic Crisis: Decoding Pakistan's Urdu Media Narrative on Kashmir

2 months ago | pakistanpaigham.substack.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

As historic rivals, India and Pakistan lean toward diplomatic severance, shadowed by the prospect of military escalation, nationalistic and hyperbolic narratives have resurged across the media landscapes on both sides of the border. Rhetoric in the English- and Hindi-language Indian media is regularly documented and dissected for its sensational discourse by platforms such as Newslaundry’s Newsance.
Of Scotch and Strategy: The Western Face of Pakistan’s Military

2 months ago | pakistanpaigham.substack.com | Aishwaria Sonavane

Sparing my readers from any more overuse of "Allah, Army, and America" in describing Pakistan’s power politics, I’m coining a new triad for this Paigham: Guns, Golf, and Generals. Westernization of Pakistan MilitaryThis fresh alliteration, beyond its literary flair, is meant to offer a peek into the Pakistan military's entanglement with the Western elite identity – ones that extend well beyond defense strategies.
Beyond Borders: The Role of Jirgas in Afghanistan-Pakistan Diplomacy

Mar 28, 2025 | pakistanpaigham.substack.com | Aishwaria Sonavane |Sudha Ramachandran

In the latest Paigham, I explore how Jirgas are shaping Pakistan-Afghanistan diplomacy. As political tensions persist and formal negotiations falter, can these indigenous governance systems offer a sustainable path forward? Image Courtesy: AFPThe Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, often seen as a barometer of their diplomatic tensions, reopened on March 19 after a 27-day closure.