November’s meeting of South Asian countries in Islamabad is hanging in the balance after four countries, led by India, said they would boycott it following this month’s attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir, which killed 18 troops. – Financial Times
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces a key choice in the coming weeks about who should run Pakistan's powerful military, one that will have a major influence on the country's often strained relationships with the United States and nuclear rival India. - Reuters
Editorial: Mr. Modi is practicing restraint for now, but Islamabad can’t rely on that continuing. Mr. Modi’s offer of cooperation, if rejected, will become part of a case for making Pakistan even more of a pariah nation than it already is. If the military continues to send arms and fighters across the border, the Indian Prime Minister will have a strong justification to take action. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The elusive leader of a major rebel group fighting for independence in Pakistan's Baluchistan province said he would welcome cash and other help from India, words likely to alarm Islamabad which accuses New Delhi of stirring trouble there. - Reuters
Pakistan on Friday "completely rejected" India's claim to have sent troops across its disputed border in Kashmir to kill suspected militants, as India evacuated villages near the frontier amid concerns about a military escalation. - Reuters
Beyond Thursday's raid by Indian special forces into Pakistan's side of divided Kashmir, New Delhi is considering new economic and diplomatic measures to bring pressure to bear on its neighbor, Indian officials said. - Reuters
Editorial: Pakistan remains trapped by a national identity based on fomenting religious-based insurgencies in Kashmir. The country needs a new vision centered on improving the lives of its people, and there is no shortage of potentially willing hands, including Mr. Modi’s, to help it move in that direction. What’s needed is political courage in Islamabad, before the crisis in Kashmir escalates. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Harsh Pant writes: With Pakistan persisting this way, India is wise to emphasize the costs to Islamabad of its obstructionism. Pakistan cannot hold the future of the region hostage to its India paranoia. With India boycotting the next Saarc summit and other regional states following its lead, Pakistan’s chickens are coming home to roost. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
Pakistan’s powerful army chief has lashed out at India, warning the neighbor that any act of aggression from New Delhi will not go unpunished as tensions spike between the two countries over the divided region of Kashmir. – Associated Press