The Kashmir conflict continues to be one of Pakistan and India’s most prominent sources of tension. Having lasted over seventy years now, and despite international intervention alongside various diplomatic efforts, the crisis remains unsolved, adversely impacting the countries involved, and their neighboring nations. The roots of the Kashmir dispute originates from the partitioning of British India in 1947, and has been a significant issue since. The focus of this article will be to uncover the historical roots of the Kashmir conflict, it’s impact on the bilateral ties of Pakistan and India, and how it affects the politics of South Asia.
The Historical Roots of the Kashmir Dispute
The British Raj dissolved in 1947, transitioning into two states; India and Pakistan. This partition followed the religious demographics of the Indian subcontinent, with Pakistan being Islamic-majority and India being Hindu-majority. However, there existed a princely state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by a Hindu Maharja – Hari Singh – who was undeniably enslaved to a Muslim-majority populace. As the chaos of partition ensued, Maharaja Singh was caught in twain: he was induced by the newly carved nations to accede to one or the other.
In October 1947, Maharaja Singh’s predicament escalated with the attack of tribal militias purportedly sponsored by Pakistan. In a desperate bid to stave off defeat, the Maharaja turned to the Indians, offering to sign the Instrument of Accession in exchange for military support. This directly contradicted Pakistan’s stance, triggering the first India-Pakistan War in 1947-48. With mediation from the United Nations, a peace treaty was brokered to end the conflict, creating the LoC, which serves as a de facto border splitting Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani zones of influence.
The Role of International Powers in the Kashmir Conflict
The Kashmir issue has been a source of bilateral tension between Pakistan and India for a long period of time; however, both superpowers have become increasingly interested due to the region’s geo-strategic significance. The Region has been of interest to super powers like the USSR, USA, and China. The Cold War had further complicated the issue, with India aligned towards the Soviet Union and Pakistan having a leaning on the US.
China, sharing a border with both India and Pakistan, has interest in the region including areas like Aksai Chin, part of Kashmir under the administrative control of China. The involvement of superpowers has on occasions provoked wars as super powers have major interests with respect to the security configuration of the area.
Impact on Pakistan-India Relations
The Kashmir conflict is one of the core reasons for political, diplomatic and military relations between Pakistan and India. The two states have had three full fledged wars, from the years 1947-48, 1965 and 1971, along with numerous smaller skirmishes with the core underlying issue of Kashmir’s capture, along with the most notable wars being OSINT 2, and Kashmir in 1965, followed by the Kargil conflict of 1999 in which Pakistan’s Paramilitary forces stormed Indian occupied Kargil region of Kashmir. Â
The constant level of stress leading up to these conflicts also resulted in the militarization of the region resulting in further conflicts like ceasefire agreements along the LOC. Further attempting to alleviate the strain was the Shimla agreement signed in 1972 and the Lahore declaration of 1999, but these have continued to result in no further endeavours towards peace and only heightened conflicts in the region.
The Kashmir Issue and Nuclear Diplomacy
The existence of nuclear weapons in the possession of Pakistan and India has contributed to an evolution of the Kashmir dispute. With the nuclear undertone present, the risk of conflict has become an international concern, especially after Pakistan and India conducted their nuclear tests in 1998. With the presence of nuclear arms, the threat intensifies both countries possess the destructive power of nuclear war and hence the conflict becomes more perilous with Kashmir. Â
Diplomatic endeavors have concentrated on stopping escalation and reaching a peaceful and diplomatic settlement to the fight. But Pakistan and India have been adamant to make a reasonable Kashmir is geopolitically sensitive in nature which has kept India locked positioned towards. The nuclear element has further intensified the hurdles due to the unrelenting resistance of both countries.
The Current Situation in Kashmir
The constitution of India granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 which was abrogated in August 2019. Despite having strained violence and protest, Indian control policies continue to maintain strict military presence in the region. In the eyes of India, this is integration, while Pakistan terms it annexation, violence still remains a constant within the region.
Human rights advocates have expressed alarm for Kashmiris in relation to the arbitrary violence and restrictions on expression, and the freely exercised physical aggression of security forces. As with many issues, international organizations have been unable to mediate a lasting solution to the conflict.
