Alright.
What we need to realize is that this is not about what Imran Khan says or does. If anyone believes that Imran Khan is at the helm of this affair then they are naive and completely oblivious of how our country, in specific, and the world, in general, works. The decision and actions will be taken by the Deep State, or as we Pakistanis call it "the Establishment". Frankly speaking, statements by politicians in our part of the world never were very well articulated or substantive.
Pakistan will respond, Modi has forced us to, India has left us no choice. Frankly speaking, they have shot themselves in the foot. The international community turns a blind eye towards their atrocities there, the armed Kashmiri movements are weak and Pakistan withdrew its material support more than a decade ago under Musharraf. There was nothing stopping them from holding on to IOK without much to challenge their occupation for the next few decades at least. But they got too full of themselves. With a leader good for only hyperbolic statements backed by a fanatically charged populous they couldn't help themselves and reached beyond their grasp. India has used force for 70 years, it hasn't worked. It hasn't worked against any grass-roots level independence movement ever in history. Their only option was to placate the Kashmiris and bide their time but they remain as short sighted as they were 70 years ago. Reason says that this Indian move will now exacerbate their issues in Kashmir. It was a stalemate with a status quo that suited India, they ended it themselves.
What comes next, including Pakistan's response, will depend on how the Kashmiris react. All out war will not be our go to response, and rightly so. Not because of any perceived superiority of the Indian military or our weak economy (Wars are never fought under ideal conditions) but because there are still a few other options which can and should be exhausted first. If the coming situation unfolds as it seems to be unfolding, the resurgent armed Kashmiri struggle will gain unprecedented momentum, provided the Kashmiris betray their "docile" selves. Pakistan will throw its weight behind this struggle, we've gotten quite good at 4th Gen Warfare. After that it's anyone's guess. The likeliest scenario, IMO, will be an eventual war once things get a little too out of control for the Indian state.
