NEW DELHI: Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief A S Dulat has acknowledged that India’s long-standing efforts to diplomatically isolate Pakistan at the international level have not succeeded, despite repeated attempts to promote a terrorism-related narrative.
Speaking to a British news channel, Dulat said India had tried to isolate Pakistan globally from the outset but failed to achieve the objective, even after using international lobbying, available resources, and various indirect channels.
Pakistan-India relations have remained largely frozen in recent years, with diplomatic engagement stalled between the two neighbouring countries. Both sides have also experienced border skirmishes and a brief 87-hour conflict last year.
In May 2025, during the 87-hour conflict, Pakistan reportedly downed eight Indian fighter jets, including four French-made Rafales, one Su-30 aircraft, one MiG-29 aircraft, one Mirage 2000 aircraft, and one “expensive” multi-role unmanned aerial system, along with dozens of drones.
The war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
Following the military conflict, Pakistan was described as emerging as a regional stabilisation force, acting as a mediator between the United States and Iran and helping secure a 14-day fragile ceasefire that was later extended.
During the interview, the former RAW chief said it was a misconception in India that Pakistan would eventually break apart, adding that the country would not disintegrate.
He further stated that the prevailing regional situation suggested that India itself was increasingly facing diplomatic and political isolation.
Commenting on Pakistan’s military leadership, he said Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir was receiving growing international recognition and attention.
He also claimed that the US president had referred to Field Marshal Munir as his “favourite field marshal.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and COAS Munir following the ceasefire agreement and after Pakistan hosted discussions involving the United States and Iran.
Dulat further said Pakistan’s balanced, active, and responsible diplomatic engagement as a mediator had strengthened its standing in the international community.
Commenting on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the former intelligence chief said that the less visible dimension of the issue remained the continuing unrest, uncertainty, and sense of deprivation among the local population.