New Delhi, May 12 -- Relationships can be intrinsically fragile, especially with neighbours who suffer from some inferiority complex. The ceasefire announced between India and Pakistan on Saturday was breached immediately, proving the brittle nature of ties between the two nations that have been divided by thick lines of blood in sand and snow.

Pakistan's appetite for continuing violence and bloodshed seemed to have diminished over the past few years, only to resurface with the appointment of a new army chief whose words suggest he views strife with India as a religious battle. India's measured response to the Pahalgam carnage, which claimed 26 innocent lives, by targeting terror infrastructure across the Line of Control has rendered irr...