Link to the Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgnw9kydgqo
The US has called for cooperation between India and Pakistan, “after a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last week killed 26 civilians.” This attack has escalated military, diplomatic and cultural tensions between the two countries. The secretary of state, Mark Rubio contacted both Pakistan’s and India’s prime/foreign ministers, urging them to seek peace during the investigation. The attack happened on April 22 just outside of Pahalgam. India is accusing Pakistan of supporting the attackers in their mission, but Pakistan has denied all accusations. No group has been found responsible but targets of the attacks were predominantly Hindu men. India has responded by closing all airspace to Pakistani aircraft, giving the Indian military full liberty to decide on retaliation and banning multiple Pakistani news channels. Pakistan’s response has been condemning the attack and they have also cancelled the 1972 peace treaty. This is the deadliest attack on civilians in India in over two decades which has created nationwide anger against Pakistan.
This article is significant because it discusses a major event that occurred in India that could spark great conflict between India and Pakistan. The US’s engagement in urging both countries to operate peacefully shows the international concern of many countries and what escalation could mean globally. Civilians are greatly affected by this and visa/deportation issues could create widespread humanitarian crises. The lasting impacts for the region could be greater military presence and troop deployment across both countries. There could be greater political polarization in the region with civilians supporting more extreme politicians. Trade could be disrupted and both countries’ economies could suffer tremendously. India could take a diplomatic path where they pursue more international support from the UN. India could also invest in more intelligence power to strengthen their national security. Pakistan could further investigate the situation and prove the attackers were not from them. They could also focus on peaceful cooperation and diplomacy with India to deescalate the situation.
When connecting this back to class, we can relate this issue with the security dilemma in international relations. This is when one country takes action to increase security but this causes instability in another area. India’s military threats and growing readiness to attack, is causing insecurity in Pakistan. Pakistan must take a defensive stance and this is only escalating tensions more.