Ajai Sahni

Counter-terrorism and defence are the lynchpins of Indo-Israeli relations.

The al-Qaeda has seen the country as a target of legitimate jihad at least since 1996, and has secured no traction among Indian Muslims.

Leaderships in both countries are now confronted with difficult decisions.

Ceasefire violations have increased but there's no extraordinary spurt in frequency.

For Islamist and Hindutva Right, 'rising threat' of Islamism is a political asset and weapon.

Countless 'dossiers' and lists of 'most-wanted' terrorists have been provided by New Delhi, only to be added to garbage in Islamabad.

There are several armed factions that will need to be accommodated before the issue can be resolved.

The Punjab police led by DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and SP Baljeet Singh, who lost his life, followed the tradition established by KPS Gill, of leading from the front.