Violence has frequently erupted between India and Pakistan ever since the traumatic events of the 1947 partition, which left millions homeless and hundreds of thousands dead. Tensions have escalated over the decades, particularly as both countries developed nuclear weapons, raising global fears of a large-scale war.
Partition and Its Aftermath
In August 1947, the British ended their colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent, splitting it into two independent nations: predominantly Hindu India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. This partition triggered one of the bloodiest mass migrations in modern history. Around 14 million people were displaced, and estimates of the death toll range from 200,000 to 2 million.
Refugees were attacked as they fled across new borders. Trains filled with civilians were ambushed by mobs, and stories of mass killings, rape, and suicide spread. Many survivors recall harrowing scenes of bloodshed and despair during this time.
The Kashmir Dispute
The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was given the option to join either India or Pakistan. Its Hindu ruler, Hari Singh, initially sought independence. However, facing rebellion and pressure from Pakistani tribal forces, he agreed to accede to India in return for military aid. This sparked the first Indo-Pakistani war, which ended in 1949 with a UN-brokered ceasefire, dividing the region. A promised plebiscite to let Kashmiris choose their future was never held.
The dispute has continued ever since. Over the years, violence flared up repeatedly. In the late 1980s, allegations of election rigging led to a mass uprising in Indian-administered Kashmir, with Pakistan-backed militant groups joining the conflict. Thousands of civilians have died in the decades-long struggle, with Indian security crackdowns further fueling unrest.
In 2019, India revoked the region’s special autonomous status, intensifying anger and drawing international concern. Human rights groups have criticized the heavy military presence and repression in the region, which is now one of the world’s most militarized zones.
India controls the larger, southern portion of the territory (Jammu and Kashmir), while Pakistan governs Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. China also occupies the eastern region of Aksai Chin, claimed by India.
Renewed Violence in 2025
Tensions spiked again in April 2025, when gunmen killed 26 people — including a Nepalese citizen — in an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. This was the deadliest civilian attack since the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistan-based militants.
India responded with military strikes on Pakistani territory. Pakistan claimed to have shot down several Indian jets, and clashes broke out along the Line of Control. Missile and drone attacks were reported on both sides, targeting military and civilian infrastructure. This marks the first direct military conflict between the two nations in six years.
Both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed, each possessing around 170 warheads, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Any escalation, therefore, poses a severe threat to regional and global security.
Adding to the instability is the spread of disinformation. Both countries have used social media as a tool of propaganda, sharing misleading content to shape public perception. The Indian government has since blocked thousands of accounts and restricted Pakistani media content from streaming platforms.