Pakistan and India Conflict Intensifies!
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Bradford: Tensions are once again flaring between Pakistan and India, bringing both nuclear-armed nations perilously close to the brink of war. Their historically uneasy relationship has already been marred by two full-scale wars and ongoing, regular border skirmishes.
The current situation has reached a boiling point, with the real possibility of an all-out war looming, following a deadly terrorist attack in the town of Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by a statement issued in the name of The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Such terrorist organisations operate on both sides of the border, often acting independently with their own agendas, and are not averse to committing acts of terror even within their own countries to express dissent.
Both Pakistan and India have suffered immensely over the past decades due to the actions of these groups. On Thursday, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif firmly denied any involvement by Pakistan in the attack, stating, “Accusing Pakistan won’t solve the problem of India’s occupation of Kashmir.”
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Pakistan has also expressed its willingness to cooperate with neutral investigators to establish the facts, an important gesture by Islamabad, though it may not align with India’s political narrative.
Historically, both countries have used such violent incidents to score political points on the international stage, often accusing one another of sponsoring terrorism. This time appears to be no different.
The deadly incident has triggered a significant diplomatic standoff. India has responded by suspending its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan has retaliated by halting a major canal irrigation project and closing its airspace to Indian airlines. This tit-for-tat escalation has further strained already fragile diplomatic relations.
The situation continues to deteriorate by the hour. I write this piece, the possibility of a full-scale war between the two nuclear neighbours is gaining momentum. The United Nations has urged both sides to exercise “maximum restraint.”
India has accused Pakistan of violating the Line of Control, while Pakistan has not only denied the charge but has also accused Indian forces of serious transgressions, vowing to defend its borders. In a show of readiness, India has begun a large-scale military exercise—an ominous sign.
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The Modi government, throughout its tenure, has remained unapologetic about its human rights violations in Kashmir and against India’s Muslim minority. It has leveraged its growing economic power to pressure the international community into ignoring these issues, including widespread poverty and systemic oppression of minorities, particularly Muslims.
Since revoking Article 370 and stripping Kashmir of its special status, enshrined in the Indian constitution, Modi’s administration has pursued aggressive policies, including Hindu settlements in Muslim-majority regions in Kashmir, what many allege to be a campaign of forced ethnic cleansing.
India has never fully accepted the legitimacy of Pakistan as an independent nation, and Modi’s far-right government continues to harbour ambitions of re-annexing Pakistan. This aggressive stance has seemingly gained courage from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the lack of global consensus against such actions. Modi also appears emboldened by support from Israel and the recently re-elected Trump administration in the United States.
Amid all this turmoil, the Kashmir issue remains the central and unresolved point of contention between the two nations, a flashpoint that continues to define their relationship and threaten regional peace.
The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.
