New Delhi, May 4 -- At this time, when there is widespread anticipation of a military retaliation by India in response to the atrocious terrorist attack in Pahalgam, it is useful to take a step back and look at the scoreboard. In the decades-old conflict with Pakistan, India is winning. Recognizing this is important, for then we can reinforce success factors and avoid mistakes.

At the outset, let me be clear: The use of military force against targets in Pakistan is called for and well-justified. If India's political leadership assesses that the risk of war is acceptable, then a sharp operation that hurts without humiliating the Pakistani army will ensure that the cost of cross-border terrorism remains high. The political objective would ...