Pakistan & India war 2025

 Pakistan & India war 2025;

On 23 April 2025, there was a standoff between India and Pakistan, which was ignited by the 2025 Pahalgam attack, a terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 25 Hindu tourists, one Christian tourist and one local Muslim and injuring more than 20 others. The Resistance Front (TRF) had, in the initial instance, taken responsibility for the attack. There were reports of armed clashes between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) starting 24 April, with a concern being raised of a possible escalation between the two nuclear-capable neighbors.

The standoffs were preceded by a diplomatic crisis that arose between the two nations, with India accusing Pakistan of having sponsored the attack. India began expelling Pakistani diplomats and withdrawing own diplomats, suspended visas, sealed borders, and withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty, and Pakistan rejected the accusations and retorted with trade restrictions, sealing of airspace and border crossings and suspension of the Shimla Agreement.

India's Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also advised Indian citizens strongly not to travel to Pakistan, and asked those who were already there to leave as soon as they could.

Background;

An Islamist extremist insurgency erupted in Jammu and Kashmir in the late 1980s, which led to the migration of Kashmiri Hindus from the territory and the insurgency has continued ever since.

On 22 April 2025, a terrorist assault at Baisaran Valley along Pahalgam in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district killed at least 26 tourists and wounded over 20 others. Based on eyewitness accounts given to Indian media sources, the attackers allegedly asked potential victims for their religious identity before firing at them, targeting non-Muslims in particular.

The attack turned into one of the deadliest attacks on Indian civilians in the region since 2000. The Resistance Front (TRF), suspected to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based, UN-listed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially took responsibility. They said that the attack was against Indian government policy permitting Indian citizens to reside and work in Kashmir, which led to non-local settlement in the area. Four days later, they withdrew their claim.

Diplomatic crisis;

On 23 April night, Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri addressed a special briefing following his meeting with the CCS. He stated that India will suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan with immediate effect till Pakistan stops sponsoring cross-border terror.He also declared the shutdown of the integrated check post at the Attari–Wagah Border, prohibition of travel to India by all Pakistani nationals on the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, and revocation of all visas that have been previously issued. Moreover, Pakistani military advisors stationed in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi were thrown out, whereas their Indian equivalents in Islamabad were recalled, and the number of staff at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was cut from 55 to a minimum of 30. Positions of such military advisors were held to be abolished.

The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan conveyed condolences to the victims' families, and its defense minister Khawaja Asif rejected his country's involvement in the attack allegations and treated such incidents as revolutions. In an interview with Sky News, however, when refuting terrorism allegations, minister Asif stated that Pakistan had supported terrorist activities on behalf of United States, Britain and the West over the past three decades.

Pakistan reacted to the treaty suspension by calling it inappropriate and not serious. Pakistan also threatened India with an overall retaliation for the actions unveiled by the Indian government after the incident, additionally pronouncing that any action on the water resources would be taken as an act of war. On 24 April, Pakistan suspended the visas granted to Indian nationals and shut its airspace for Indian planes, expelled Indian diplomats and ordered Indian military advisers to leave the country latest by the 30 April. However, the Kartarpur Corridor was kept open for the Sikh pilgrims. Pakistan also suspended all trade with India. Pakistan also suspended the Simla Agreement, on 24 April 2025 in retaliation. The Attari–Wagah border ceremony was also curtailed and the ceremonial handshake didn't happen. Cross-border families were also impacted where their visas got cancelled.

Ground escalation;

Following the attack, the Indian Army, along with the paramilitary troops and Jammu and Kashmir Police, launched a joint cordon and search operation. Pahalgam was put under a temporary lockdown, and Indian Army helicopters were deployed to pursue the militants, who were said to have escaped towards the upper Pir Panjal reaches.

Counterinsurgency operations were also conducted in the area. An Indian soldier was killed and two other soldiers injured in an exchange of fire with insurgents in the Basantgarh sector of Udhampur on 24 April. Senior LeT Commander Altaf Lalli was killed by security forces in the same exchange of fire. On 26 April, suspected terrorist houses were demolished by security personnel in Pulwama and Kulgam districts by controlled detonations. Both were reportedly linked to the attack on Pahalgam as per Indian authorities.

Both Indian and Pakistani air forces had intense sorties close to the LoC. Indian Border Security Force soldier of 182nd battalion BSF was arrested by Pakistan Rangers when he crossed into Pakistan occupied area unintentionally at Ferozepur border

From 24 April to 1 May, Indian and Pakistani military had exchanges and skirmishes and small arms firing. Pakistan's army reportedly opened small arms firing in different sectors along the LoC. Pakistan's army actions were termed as "unprovoked" by Indian media. The Pakistan Army reported that it shot down two Indian military quadcopter drones on the LoC in the Satwal sector and in the Manawar sector of Bhimber district.

On 28 April, Pakistani Defence Minister Asif said that the Indian armed forces' attack was "imminent". On 30 April, Pakistan alleged to have "credible intelligence" that India is about to take military action within hours. On the evening of 29 April, Pakistan forces fired at the international border across Kashmir. On 1 May, Indian Home minister Amit Shah declared that none of the terrorists who carried out the attack would be spared by India.

Release of river water;

Following suspension of the Indus Waters treaty 1960 on 23 April, local media reports emerged from Pakistan's Muzaffarabad on 26 and 27 April that India had let out water from the Uri Dam into the Jhelum River without warning resulting in flooding, high water levels and panic. Reports further suggested that the Chenab River was hit by a steep decline in water levels in Sialkot, Pakistan with satellite imagery revealing heavy drying up of the riverbed.

Reactions;

The United Nations called on both sides to exercise "maximum restraint" and to settle the issues through diplomacy.

On April 25, the Islamic Republic of Iran offered to mediate a de-escalation solution between India and Pakistan.

Russia released a travel warning in April 2025, advising its citizens not to travel to Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir. It mentioned greater security threats in the region. Similarly, the United Kingdom released the same warning some time around this period, specifically mentioning the LoC. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for de-escalation between the nations. Peace talks were favored by Bangldesh and UAE.

The U.S. State Department revised its travel warning, a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" alert for India's Jammu and Kashmir, citing terrorism and civil unrest risks as high. The U.S. New Delhi Embassy confirmed that it is in close observation of the situation and urged the perpetrators to be held accountable, reiterating its support for India's counter-terrorism efforts. Subsequently, on April 26, 2025, President Donald Trump minimized the diplomatic row by saying that the two countries "had that fight for 1,500 years", ignoring the fact that the Kashmir Crisis began in 1947.

Demonstrations were held outside the High Commission of Pakistan, London by Indian diaspora members.

The Government of India then passed a ban on a number of Pakistan based YouTube channels for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive material, as well as false narratives against the country, its Army, and security agencies, and a ban on Instagram accounts of a number of Pakistani celebrities. Actress Hania Aamir, whose account was one of those banned, shared an Instagram story condemning General Asim Munir for the attack and accusing the Pakistan Army of backing terrorist organizations, while also condemning the attack and calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lift the ban.