Modi’s hardline policy and its implications for Pakistan

Pakistan has experienced persistent tensions in their bilateral relations with India since inception in 1947. Within the historically adversarial setting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as one of the most influential Indian leaders in the realm of foreign affairs. Since the emergence of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India in 2014, the nature of foreign policy of India has undergone a transformation with a strong sense of nationalist overtones, targeted engagements and the vigorous diplomacy. India’s foreign policy after Modi clearly reflects Modi’s personal beliefs and Hindutva ideology, influenced by RHS and VHP. According to the Director of Human Rights Watch for South Asia, Meenakshi Ganguly, BJP is fueling extremist Hindus in every institution of the country and harassing the minorities. The rise of Hindu nationalism has not just challenged the secular identity of India, but has also affected India’s interaction both at the domestic and international levels.

Modi pursued a distinctive foreign policy which translated into a more uncompromising public stance vis-à-vis Pakistan, characterized by hardline stance on security challenges, selective diplomatic engagement, economic considerations and international strategic signaling. Hence, Hindutva-led BJP is an obstruction to the peaceful relations between the two states. He initially pursued “selective engagement” as evident by the invitation to the Pakistani PM to Modi’s inauguration in 2014 and the surprise visit to Lahore in 2015. However, this period of diplomatic engagement could not live longer and gradually followed a series of militant attacks and the adoption of more coercive foreign policy toward Pakistan.

During the period 2014-2019, there have been several significant militant attacks, including Gurdaspur attack (2015), Pathankot airbase attack (2016), Uri attack (2016) and Pulwama attack (2019) that has exacerbated the tensions between India and Pakistan. India blamed Pakistan of involvement in the attacks, terming it a “terrorist state” and in reaction to these incidents, PM Modi vowed to avenge its neighbor and to isolate it globally. In this respect, he adopted a more aggressive strategy. In the wake of Pulwama attack 2019, which killed approximately 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, India viewed Pakistan with distrust and suspended Pakistan’s MFN status. This made the situation between the two countries even worse and drew a new red line below the threshold of large-scale war.
Pakistan has been facing many consequences in different areas due to the hostile attitude of Modi towards Pakistan. In terms of security, Pakistan is facing severe tensions through cross-border crises. Modi-led Government poses a clear threat to Pakistan’s internal affairs as India extended the support for Baloch separatist (e.g. BLA) to dismember Pakistan. Claims have been made that the Indian intelligence agencies helped to provide funds and safe havens to the Baloch militants and prominent Baloch separatist leaders. India has always strategically portrayed the bilateral disputes between India and Pakistan within the framework of counterterrorism in front of global community, downgrading the importance of political issues, including the dispute over Kashmir and water dispute.

Economically, Modi’s foreign policy choices have caused a considerable reduction in trade between the two countries, which directly impacted Pakistan’s economy. For instance, in the aftermath of Pulwama attack-2019, India levied 200 percent duty on Pakistani goods. Moreover, international community put immense pressure on Pakistan considering it as a terrorist state, most notable of which was the FATF, increasing the vulnerability of the Pakistani economy and obstructing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country. Data shows that total trade between India and Pakistan stood at $2.41bn in the year 2017-2018 as compared to just $1.2bn in 2024. In recent past, after the Pahalgam attack in 2025, the cross-border trade has been completely halted.

In the regional context, Modi’s foreign policy has caused a surge in the instability of South Asia. The reduction in bilateral dialogue, confidence building measures and the stagnation of regional institutions has obstructed the scope for regional cooperation and conflict resolution. Hostility has also slowed down regional cooperation like SAARC from taking joint measures, thus hindering the progress of South Asia. In addition, the social and cultural links have also been adversely affected since 2025 by the visa curtailment, suspension of sporting links and cessation of cultural links

From the realist point of view, it can be said that the Modi government has adopted a security-oriented and power-based foreign policy strategy designed to enhance India’s dominance in the regional arena. In constructivist terms, both the Hindutva ideology and Modi’s connection with RSS are significant aspects of Modi’s foreign policy. In conclusion, for sustainable ties between India and Pakistan, both countries especially the Modi government should set aside ideological biasness and prioritize mutual interests in addition to regional peace.