Nawaz Sharif

It had all the elements of a classic coup: thousands descending on the capital, clashing with police outside parliament and commandeering state TV to demand the ouster of a civilian leader who had locked horns with the military in a country with a long history of turmoil and dictatorship.

The elaborate diplomatic dance between India and Pakistan has been interrupted once again. The two sides remain far from a major breakthrough in their troubled relationship. As long as the Pakistani army continues to view India as an existential threat and maintains its grip over security policy, the twain may never achieve permanent peace.

The Indian and Pakistani prime ministers are engaged in the war-of-words over the Kashmir issue, with the latter expressing a desire in his official statement to see Kashmir free of Indian occupation during his life time.