01/05 • INDIA AND PAKISTAN

The attack occurred near Pahalgam, a town in Indian-administered Kashmir. Reports suggest the attackers targeted the victims based on their religious identity, separating Hindus from Muslims before opening fire. The Indian government quickly blamed Pakistan for harbouring or supporting the militants - a charge Pakistan has denied, instead calling for an international investigation.

In retaliation, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a water-sharing agreement that has endured since 1960 and survived multiple wars. It also closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft and expelled Pakistani diplomats. Pakistan responded in kind - halting trade, expelling Indian diplomats, and suspending bilateral agreements including the Shimla Accord, which commits both countries to resolving disputes peacefully.

This diplomatic crisis is the latest in a long history of conflict over Kashmir, and between Pakistan and India as a whole. Kashmir has been the spark for three wars and numerous armed stand-offs. The region has seen decades of insurgency, military crackdowns, and waves of militant violence.

Tensions along the Line of Control (a de-facto border separating Indian and Pakistani controlled areas of Kashmir) have again flared. Both sides report cross-border shelling and casualties. Pakistan claims to have shot down two Indian surveillance drones and says it has intelligence warning of an imminent Indian military operation, prompting heightened alert status.

The global community is watching with concern. Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, and even limited conflict carries grave risk. The United Nations, United States, and other international actors have called for immediate de-escalation and the reopening of diplomatic channels.

The human cost is already evident. Families mourn lost loved ones. Communities near the Line of Control live in fear of further violence. And millions of Kashmiris - Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Sikh - continue to face daily uncertainty in a region haunted by war and stifled by unresolved identity, trauma, and occupation.