- Approx. reading time: 5 minutes
Prolonged Disputes Between India and Pakistan: A Look at the Causes over Decades - Decades of Unabated Conflict: Understanding the Persistent India-Pakistan Tensions
Get ready to dive into the tumultuous world of India and Pakistan as they continue their century-long rivalry over the heavily disputed region of Kashmir. This battleground, nestled amidst the mighty Himalayas, has seen its fair share of bloodshed and tension.
The Fight Over Kashmir: A Timeless Battle
Two nuclear powers, three major religions, and a piece of land that has served as the hotbed of countless conflicts – Kashmir. This ethnically and religiously diverse territory, home to around 15 million people, is strategically vital due to its location near the tri-border area between Pakistan, India, and China. Both India and Pakistan claim the entire area but have only had control over parts of it for about eight decades, with India seizing roughly half. The landscape is further complicated by numerous Muslim rebel groups who have been campaigning since 1989 for independence, union with Pakistan, or some form of autonomy.
India and Pakistan have fought two wars and multiple skirmishes over the region, with tens of thousands of casualties and over half a million Indian soldiers stationed as a permanent presence. Boundaries have been brutally drawn and redrawn since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.
A Brief History: A Timeline of Wars and Uprisings
Here's a glimpse into the timeline of conflicts between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region:
- 1947: The First Kashmir War breaks out after the partition of the Indian subcontinent. The Hindu king of Kashmir requests aid from New Delhi and joins India. Two years later, the region is divided.
- 1962: China occupies the Aksai Chin Plateau, a region previously controlled by India.
- 1965: India and Pakistan get into a Second War over Kashmir. Separatists under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front continue to fight for an independent Kashmir.
- 1971: In a Third War, India and Pakistan fight over Pakistan's control of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Pro-independence fighters in Bangladesh and Indian support for their cause lead to Pakistan's defeat in the war.
- 1984: Indian troops take control of the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range. This is followed by a series of skirmishes over the desolate, uninhabited region.
- 1999: Pakistan-backed fighters cross the Kashmir border and capture Indian military posts in the high elevation regions of Kargil. After a tense ten-week struggle, Indian forces push back the intruders.
- 2008: India and Pakistan open the first cross-border trade route in Kashmir.
- 2010: Protests against the Indian government in the Indian side of Kashmir result in the deaths of 100 people.
- 2016: India conducts limited strikes on targets in the Pakistani part of Kashmir. Pakistani rebels had attacked an Indian military base earlier, killing 19 people. Pakistan denies that the Indian strikes ever took place. In November, militants disguised as police storm an Indian outpost on the border and kill six soldiers.
- 2019: The Indian government under Narendra Modi abolishes the previously existing special autonomy status of its part of Kashmir, dividing it into two regions. This move is met with widespread anger from locals, leading to the development of an increasingly underground separatist movement. In June 2024, nine people are killed in an attack on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims.
Recent Developments: A Deteriorating Situation
The escalating tensions between the two nuclear powers have resulted in the current volatile climate. Here are the most recent events that have triggered this crisis:
- April 22, 2025: A terrorist attack kills 26 people and injures 17 more on a hillside meadow in Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack is described as an "act of terrorism" in which Pakistan is partially responsible. While Pakistan denies involvement, it does little to help.
- April 23: In response, India imposes harsh retaliatory measures, including closing the main border crossing, expelling all Pakistani diplomats, and suspending the crucial water-sharing treaty with Pakistan. Pakistan views this as an act of war and promises to respond with "the entire spectrum of national power."
- April 24: India widens its retaliatory actions, ordering all Pakistani citizens to leave the country by April 29, regardless of visa status. Pakistan responds by expelling all Indian citizens. Deliveries are halted, airspace for Indian aircraft suspended, and trade stopped.
- May 1, 2025: India conducts exercises in the Arabian Sea, aiming to demonstrate its combat readiness and ability to deter potential threats.
- May 3: India halts the import of goods from Pakistan, claiming national security concerns. In retaliation, Pakistan announces it has successfully tested a new weapon system called Abdali.
- May 5: The Pakistani army fires a rocket, stating that it is for training purposes and ensuring operational readiness.
- May 6: India attacks several targets in Pakistan, claiming they are terrorist infrastructure. The Pakistani military reports casualties and promises retaliation.
- May 7: After the Indian attacks, Pakistan closes its airspace for 48 hours and threatens retaliation.
As of May 2025, the conflict over Kashmir continues to roil, with both sides maintaining a strong military presence, regular skirmishes, and the ongoing threat of widening hostilities. The world watches anxiously, hoping that cooler heads will prevail and that this volatile region will not be touched by another devastating war.
- The Commission has been consulted on the draft Council decision regarding the conclusion of the Agreement, potentially involving the Kashmir region, given its history of war-and-conflicts and politics.
- The agreement's implementation could integrate Kashmir more deeply into the general-news discourse, given the region's long-standing conflicts between India and Pakistan.
- In the midst of ongoing warnings about the escalating war-and-conflicts between India and Pakistan in Kashmir, experts note the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflicts to foster lasting peace.
- Agreements aimed at resolving Kashmir's conflicts could lead to better integration and cooperation between the two nations, fostering a more stable political environment in the region.
