Conflict's Deadly Tale Between India and Pakistan
In a whirlwind of turmoil and disagreement, India and Pakistan have been at odds since their inception in 1947 following the partition from the British Empire. The thorny issue that divides them is none other than the disputed territory of Kashmir, a mountainous region situated between the two nations and split into Indian and Pakistani sections.
Each country claims sovereignty over Kashmir, with Pakistan based on the religious affiliation of the majority of the population, and India due to the region's ruler choosing to join India after partition.
Twisted Tale: The Vicious Circle of Partition (1947-48)
Violence ripped apart the formation of Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India, claiming half a million lives and leaving another half a million homeless. The very first conflict ignited in October 1947, only two months after the nations were born, as a result of Pakistan's support for a Muslim insurgency in Kashmir. The Maharaja of Kashmir called for Indian aid in exchange for the region becoming Indian territory, but the nature of the agreement between them remains a matter of dispute to this day.
The Second Round: A Drawn-Out War (1965)
Harsh words and skirmishes escalated into the second Indo-Pakistani war in April 1965. It started over a border dispute that ballooned into armed combat, ending with Pakistan proclaiming victory. However, the conflict reignited when Pakistan launched a covert offensive in Indian-administered Kashmir in August, prompting India to strike back by crossing the international border at Lahore. The war cooled down with a UN-sponsored ceasefire.
The Birth of Bangladesh (1971)
The nations' animosity continued six years later, as East Pakistan, situated on the Indian side, demanded independence from Islamabad. As the conflict escalated, the widespread displacement of around 10 million people gave India leverage to intervene, leading to Pakistan surrendering at Dhaka, with over 90,000 soldiers becoming Indian prisoners of war. This event marked the birth of Bangladesh on 6 December 1971, which Pakistan acknowledged three years later.
The Arrival of Militants (1989)
Tensions escalated once more in 1989 with the arrival of Islamic Jihadi fighters in Kashmir following the Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Led by resentment against Indian rule, armed resistance broke out in Kashmir. Pakistan supplied "moral and diplomatic" support to the movement, but India accused it of training and arming separatists. This move sparked a sharp shift in anti-Indian sentiment in Kashmir, transforming from nationalist sentiment to a largely Islamic one.
The Kargil Cold War (1999)
Tensions flared up again in 1999 when India launched air strikes against Pakistani-backed forces that had infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir, north of Kargil. The escalating conflict threatened to erupt into a full-blown war, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes on both sides of the ceasefire line. The conflict came to a head in the same year with the military coup led by General Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan.
Political Brinkmanship (2001)
In a chilling reminder of the simmering hostilities, attackers killed 38 people at the Kashmiri assembly in Srinagar, followed by another 14 deaths at the Indian parliament in Delhi a month later. India blamed militants based in Pakistan for the attacks, resulting in a massive buildup of troops along the India-Pakistan border.
Spinning the Web of War (2008)
More bloodshed was inflicted in a 4-day attack on Mumbai by terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in November 2008, leading to the deaths of 166 people. While relations between the two nations had previously been strained, this attack took the dispute to new heights.
The Captured Platoon: A Diplomatic Dance (2019)
In a daring move, the Indian Air Force struck a militant camp in Balakot, Pakistan, in February 2019. In response, Pakistan carried out the 'Operation Swift Retort' and shot down one Indian jet, capturing the pilot. After days of tense negotiations, the pilot was eventually returned to India, de-escalating tensions between the two nations.
Unholy War: Attacks on Tourists (2025)
Years later, in April 2025, guns rang out in a popular tourist spot near the resort town of Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 26 Indian tourists in one of the deadliest attacks in recent years. The militant group The Resistance Front, an offshoot of the group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, claimed responsibility for the attack, deepening the friction between India and Pakistan.
In the ongoing disagreement between India and Pakistan, the conflict in Kashmir remains a bitter offshoot of the war-and-conflicts that have persistently plagued the two nations since their separation in 1949. The first conflict arose in October 1947, instigated by Pakistan's support for a Muslim insurgency in Kashmir, leading to a just struggle between the Maharaja of Kashmir and India over sovereignty.
Harsh words and skirmishes culminated into the second Indo-Pakistani war in April 1965, a drawn-out war characterized by a border dispute that escalated into armed combat. The war, however, rekindled when Pakistan launched a covert offensive in Indian-administered Kashmir in August, prompting a response from India.
The nations' animosity continued in 1971, leading to the birth of Bangladesh as East Pakistan demanded independence from Islamabad, with India intervening due to widespread displacement caused by the conflict.
Tensions escalated again in 1989 with the arrival of Islamic Jihadi fighters in Kashmir, inciting armed resistance and reshaping the resistance movement from nationalistic to largely Islamic.
More recently, in February 2019, the Indian Air Force carried out air strikes against Pakistani-backed forces in Balakot, Pakistan, following which Pakistan responded by capturing an Indian pilot. This incident exemplifies the strategic implications of the ongoing politics of Kashmir and the general-news developments arising from it.
