current affairs MCQ #12491

After India's revocation of Article 370, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner. A foreign policy analyst evaluates whether this was the optimal response. Which argument best justifies a more calibrated approach?

current affairs MCQ #12491

  1. Question 1

    Q1. After India's revocation of Article 370, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian High Commissioner. A foreign policy analyst evaluates whether this was the optimal response. Which argument best justifies a more calibrated approach?

    • A) Pakistan should have accepted India's revocation as an internal matter to preserve bilateral trade relations worth billions annually
    • B) Downgrading relations was legally required under SAARC charter obligations whenever a member state makes unilateral territorial changes
    • C) While the revocation warranted a strong protest, downgrading relations removed diplomatic channels needed to advocate for Kashmiri rights, and maintaining an ambassador would have preserved leverage for continued pressure
    • D) Pakistan should have severed relations entirely rather than a partial downgrade, since half-measures signal weakness in diplomatic signaling

    Answer: While the revocation warranted a strong protest, downgrading relations removed diplomatic channels needed to advocate for Kashmiri rights, and maintaining an ambassador would have preserved leverage for continued pressure

    Explanation: After India revoked Article 370 in August 2019, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties by expelling the Indian High Commissioner, which while symbolically strong, eliminated the direct diplomatic channel most useful for raising Kashmiri rights concerns confidentially with Indian interlocutors.