India Pakistan conflict - Part.1

India and Pakistan’s conflict traces back to their creation in 1947, when British India was partitioned into two separate states. The division was marked by mass migrations and violent communal clashes, sowing deep-seated animosity. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir became the most contentious issue; its Hindu ruler’s decision to join India, despite a Muslim-majority population, led to the first war between the two countries in 1947-48. A UN-brokered ceasefire resulted in a divided Kashmir, with India controlling roughly two-thirds and Pakistan the remainder, but the dispute remained unresolved, fueling decades of hostility and mistrust.

Throughout the following decades, India and Pakistan engaged in several wars — notably in 1965 and 1971, the latter causing the secession of East Pakistan to become Bangladesh. In 1999, the Kargil conflict erupted along the Line of Control (LoC), followed by increased tensions due to terrorist attacks such as the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which India blamed on Pakistan-based groups. Both countries developed nuclear weapons, raising the stakes of any conflict. Sporadic peace talks were attempted but repeatedly undermined by violence and mutual suspicion, creating a cycle of confrontation and failed diplomacy.

Most recently, tensions escalated sharply in May 2025 after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 26 civilians. India accused Pakistan of supporting the attackers and launched retaliatory missile strikes on militant camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, leading to fierce exchanges of fire. Pakistan claimed to have shot down several Indian jets, while India maintained its stance on counterterrorism. Although a ceasefire was negotiated shortly after through international diplomatic pressure, the situation remains highly unstable. Both nations continue to maintain a heavy military presence along the LoC, and political rhetoric on both sides remains hostile, leaving the future of peace uncertain amid ongoing regional and global concerns.