In a move that reeks of political desperation, India recently attempted to initiate dialogue with Pakistan after Indian airlines suffered massive financial losses due to Pakistan's closure of its airspace. The closure, a response to India's airstrikes in Balakot earlier this year, crippled Indian carriers like Air India and IndiGo, forcing them to reroute flights and incur billions in losses. However, Pakistan categorically rejected the offer, stating that talks can only proceed if India ceases its alleged support for terrorism and revokes the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. My opinion: This situation underscores a classic case of blame-shifting and public relations maneuvering. India's sudden interest in dialogue appears less about genuine peace and more about mitigating domestic economic fallout. By portraying itself as the aggrieved party seeking reconciliation, India hopes to deflect attention from its own aggressive posturing. Pakistan, meanwhile, is using the terrorism card as a precondition to maintain leverage, knowing full well that India will never accept such terms publicly. The real tragedy is that ordinary citizens and airline passengers become pawns in a geopolitical chess game. India's subsequent attempts to 'cover up' the failure—likely through sanitized media narratives—only deepen the trust deficit and fool no one but their own electorate. True leadership would involve transparently acknowledging the losses and pursuing backchannel diplomacy without preconditions.