Nature of conflict evolves with time. It will be different this time. Let us spend some time on how a conflict is likely to take place between India and Pakistan.
Indian decision maker is aware of nuclear weapons on both sides. Last thing they would want to do is to push Pakistan to its nuclear threshold. Which means no large scale sustain war. Attempting to capture large cities or destroying large portion of Pakistan military machine. Those talks about splitting Pakistan? are just fancy talks. There are nuclear weapons with us and Indians live very close by. So this leaves options of coercion, using non state actors like TTP, BLA etc, economic strangulation, encirclement of Pakistan, firing on LOC, naval intimidation, some surgical strikes and shallow incursions at LOC, or in case of larger conflict at international borders. Aim of all this is to make people of Pakistan believe that Pak Military can not defend the state, subversion and intimidation. In short to break the morale and spirit of Pakistani nation and make them subservient to Indian desires.
So how Pak military is ready to fight this? Well, first of all they would not be looking at something like capturing Delhi our something of this sort. They have to blunt Indian offensive and keep their nukes ready to fire. For that, policy is simple. Bleed them. And that they can do very well. Indian army knows the price associated with an adventure. Keep in mind that they can not throw their full weight in this war. Nuclear Pakistan does not allow that. Then a considerable portion of to be kept for northern border. Unlike war in 1971, this time our soldiers will be fighting right next to their home towns. There will be much ferocity in their resistance. In an effort to humiliate Pak army, Indian military can very well end up getting humiliated. It is a big gamble and they are not ready to play at the moment.
Result is what you are seeing at the moment. Intimidation, proxies, strangulation attempts, encirclement attempts, cover Intel ops, buying off media persons to attack Pak military etc.. With nuclear weapons that's all they are likely to do. If they do any further, PA will throw full weight and if its not working, go nuclear. India will respond nuclear. Pakistan will respond nuclear again and so on...
But wait a minute. Here is the catch. As soon as things start to move in direction of conflict, nuclear war becomes a real possibility. Given the proximity of both states, it will just take minutes for nuclear exchange to take place. And the real world knows that. No one wants to stay in a nuclear fall out zone. Foreign investors will flick out in "the great Indian exodus" the moment India starts rattling war. That is a really big price to pay. India knows it.
So, yes. Pak army looks pretty much ready to take on Indian army. To me at least.
