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Pak-India Relations
1. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
ntroduction:
Since their independence, India and Pakistan have never been in a unfriendly
relationship with one another .Indo-Pak relations have been defined by the violent
partition of British India in 1947, the Jammu and Kashmir conflict and the
numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations. Immediately after gaining their
independence, both countrieswere at each other throats going to war with one another.
Instantly, starting their relationship off with mistrust, tension, and war. These deadly
relationships between the two countries have resultedin both countries facing economic,
political and security challengestoday.
The partition of British India was one of the largest human migrations ever seen and
the region. It displaced up to 12.5 million people, with an estimated loss of life of 1 million.
India became a secular nation with a Hindu majority population and a large Muslim
minority, while Pakistan emerged as an Islamic republic with an overwhelming Muslim
majority population and a very small population subscribing to other faiths.
Historical Backgroundof PakistanIndia Relations:
After gaining the liberation of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam in a meeting convened in the
Chamber of Commerce Bombay said that “We will live in Pakistan and you will live in
India. In this way, we will be the neighbors. We want to live in a friendly way, friends in
trade and commerce as two brothers”. India and Pakistan were birthed out of bloody
partition that heartened each to define herself in hostility towards the other, and they have
waged four wars since partition. India has a hegemonic design and never maintains good
relations with other small neighboring countries in South Asia. Pakistan and India have
negotiated at various issues between 1984 and 1997, including the disputes over Siachen, sir
creek and Tulbul or Wular, with little achievement. The representatives met, debated and
prepared contracts, but final approval of management was lacking due to years of mistrust,
hate and hostility between the two nations. Neither India nor Pakistan was willing to take
the step by changing the positions previously mentioned and finding a compromise or
another position. Firearms continued to explode, security forces continued to fight,
exhaustion and terrorism continued to kill thousands, and negotiators met on a regular
basis, but no positive conversion took place at that time. The Kashmir conflict, the
I
2. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
unfinished agenda of partition further plagued their ties with hostility and suspicion.
Pakistan has faced three major wars; 1948, 1965 and 1971, and later on, the Kargil conflict
and many other serious clashes. Pakistan and India have faced many security risks from the
first day of the partition of the sub-continent due to the hostile relationship which was the
major challenge for Pakistan in the past. As a matter of fact, traditional Indian capabilities
were a major threat to Pakistan, but the atmosphere changed between the two states after a
nuclear explosion in 1998. After nuclear tests in May 1998, the head of state and
government of India showed typical pragmatism in the fight against long-standing.
Pak-Indo Issues:
The Issues held between Pak and India are as follows;
KashmirIssue
There are various viewpoints regarding Kashmir issue due to a difference in ideology and
interests. The simple issue of the right of self-determination has been turned into a complex
conflict between India and Pakistan .The Kashmir conflict has been a burning issue for
many years waiting for a solution. On 1 January 1949, a ceasefire agreement was signed
between Pakistan and India by UN resolution. But India has never done that. Since both
countries' views and demands for Kashmir are different, the issue remains an unresolved
and serious conflict. The unresolved conflict in Kashmir has proved a security threat in the
South Asian region .India and Pakistan have fought many wars and the main motive
behind the wars has been Kashmir. If we look at this point according to the partition plan it
is clear that Kashmir is part of Pakistan. But India, while applying its binding policy, wants
to continue at any cost. India has a very rigid and binding policy on the Kashmir issue.
Because of the vast majority of Muslims in Kashmir, he was convinced that the state of
Kashmir would annex Pakistan. The main motive behind the score was the theory of two
countries that inspired Muslims from the subcontinent to get a separate homeland where
they could easily live their lives in Islam. Hindus and some Muslims rejected the idea of the
theory of two countries and declared that the Indian National Congress was the only
representative party in India. The Muslims of Pakistan and Kashmir believe that the
distribution is incomplete without the annexation of Kashmir to Pakistan because the main
reason for the division was the violation of the theory of the two nations. These two
neighboring countries have already fought three major wars in the Kashmir conflict but
failed. However, Kashmir's issue should not be a reason for war between both neighbors as
it is a justifiable struggle of Kashmiri people for a basic right, the right of self-determination
in the light of the UN resolutions. This right was provided to exercise the people of 584
Princely States, but Kashmiri people are denied until now in this modern era .
3. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
Kashmirconflict and Four-PointFormula ofMusharaf:
Since inception in 1947, the disputed area of Jammu and Kashmir has been a great conflict
between Pakistan and India. After seven decades, the two have not been able to move on to
a consensus on this unfinished agenda and carried on to a zero-sum approach to the issue.
Even their narratives and agendas on the issue are different from each other. Pakistan
furthered the case of Kashmiris in order to internationalize the issue after the 1989-90
mutiny and India’s attempt to tackle the Kashmiris by adopting repressive measures. It was
also reckoned that it was Gen. Musharraf, who moved the Kashmir conundrum further
from Pakistan’s recognized posture than any of his pioneers in the past. In order to break a
stalemate in 2001, he himself met with Indian PM Atal Behari Vajpayee that had proved to
be a defining movement on the way to normalizing relations with India. Musharraf stated
that “we are for the United Nations Security Council resolutions. However, now we have
left that aside, adding further, if we want to resolve this issue, both sides need to talk to
each other with flexibility, coming beyond stated positions, meeting halfway somewhere.
We are prepared to rise to the occasion. India has to be flexible too’’.President Musharraf
proposed a solution by suggesting a Four-Point Formula on the Kashmir issue during his
interview with the Indian Television Network (NDTV) on 5th December 2006.
This formula pleaded:
Demilitarization or phased withdrawal of troops.
There will be no change in the borders of Kashmir. However, people of Jammu &
Kashmir will be allowed to move freely across the Line of Control.
Self-governance without independence.
4. A joint supervision mechanism in Jammu and Kashmir involving India, Pakistan, and
Kashmir .
Kargil Conflict:
The Kargil issue itself is not considered a complete war but it is one of the serious
conflicts between Zahid Yaseen , Iqra Jathol and Muhammad Muzaffar Global Political
Review (GPR) Pakistan and India. The region is important in the context of the Kashmir
problem because there was an Indian reinforcing line in the Kashmir Valley. The war
highlighted the serious threat of nuclear war. Both states tested the atomic bomb just
before the conflict. The conflict ended with the intervention of the international
community and prevented it from becoming a full nuclear war .Kargil crises became an
eye-opener for the United States when in 1999 Pakistan and India fought at the edge of
nuclear war, which was only averted by the intervention of the United States. From
4. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
then onwards the US has been worried regarding the explosive condition of south Asia.
The US has convinced Pakistan and India to come to the talks table to discuss and
resolve disputed issues including the Kashmir problem recently and on the insistence
of United States there have been a serious of negotiations and visits on both official and
public to public levels between Pakistan and India .The conflict ended with the
intervention of the international community. In particular, the United States convinced
Pakistan and India to come to a negotiating table to discuss and resolve unresolved
issues, including the Kashmir issue. The conflict took more than 1,200 lives on both
sides.
Water Issue:
In 1948 India cut off the supply of water to Pakistan and this fact alarmed the Pakistani
population imagining a possible scenario where Jammu and Kashmir are under the
complete dominion of India. This is shared not only by the outbreak of the conflict in
Kashmir but also by the often intense conflicts over water resources and the distribution of
conflicts, numerous border issues and allegations of ethnic minority movements. Much of
the debate on the relationship between India and Pakistan is inconsistent and is often
recorded in bitter language both within the government and in the media. The reason for
starting this topic is that water is one of the most important provisions of the present
timetable. Future wars on water are due to the fact that this important resource with an
increasing world population is almost over and energy demand is increasing. For this
reason, several countries are in a state of maintaining their hegemony over different water
reservoirs to secure it for their future needs. India being an upper and Pakistan a lower
riparian state are in a constant turf over Indus basin and water distribution.India is violating
the treaty by building dams on Pakistan’s due water share because of this the state of
Pakistan is facing extreme problems like power shortage being the pivotal one. Pakistan has
to ease down its political tensions and start-up with its hydroelectric power projects to meet
their energy needs. Both the states should reach up to amicable solutions in relation to water
especially because peace between India and Pakistan means tranquility and peace in South
Asia.
Terrorism:
It is stated that “Every nation’s primary goal is to protect and secure adequate defense for
its homeland. No nation feels comfortable living under a security threat. Security in the
Third World countries (that includes Pakistan as well) states cantered in character in terms
of both its territory and institutions and to the security of those who profess to represent the
state territorially and institutionally”. South Asian region is declared as the most politically
5. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
unstable placewhere terrorism, suicideattacks, target killingsand assassination on the basis
of political, sectarian and ethnic lines etc. The “War on Terrorism” has turned out to be the
most critical clash of the 21st century and it is Pakistan that has endured the most in this
war. “Role of Pakistan in the war on terror has caused multidimensional” exterior security
enforcement to the country. Pakistan has been the greatest victim of this entire war.
Pakistan’s situation as compared to the other actors in Afghanistan has also taken serious
beatings. By making Pakistan a front line state, such a game is being played that Pakistan is
America’s friend and foe at the same time. After 9/11, Pakistan has become a war theater of
a blind war. Who is against whom, it is becoming difficult to assess with every passing day.
Political Instability
Pakistan is facing different types of security and terrorist threats from various Taliban
organizations. In the tribal areas of Pakistan, so many extremist groups are active to
destabilize Pakistan. Pakistan also has many issues regarding its sovereignty and
economic welfare. However, there are so many internal and external players who
played a very negative role in the economy of Pakistan. Pakistan is in a precarious
situation today largely because of its internal problems and instability. Sectarian,
Ethnic and provincial conflicts are common and terrorist activity; corruption and
crime are rising in number. Pakistan has weak internal security which is damaging its
international repute. In India the situation is quite opposite, it is more stable
internally, developing economically and is therefore viewed as politically,
economically and strategically possessing, precisely what is necessary for the stability
of South Asia, in the eyes of US. Prominent groups like political, religious and ethnic
are increasingly using violence and terrorism, sometimes even as a democratic and
legal instrument, which has led to several incidents that have occurred Zahid Yaseen ,
Iqra Jathol and Muhammad Muzaffar .Global Political Review (GPR) over the past
fifteen years. There have been ethno-linguistic movements in all the Provinces, as well
as sectarian and tribal conflicts in many areas, resulting in the convergence of multiple
typologies and a widespread Islamic radicalization. The reasons for this situation are
multi-dimensional and represent a complex phenomenon, to be considered as a part of
a un-manageable process creating tension and social crises.
Role of Media:
The media can be another very significant source to alter the existing misperceptions
on both sides about each other’s intentions. Both electronic and print media should try
to play their role in a very professional way. The mishandling of various issues by
media had been proved the main problem to stabilization of relations between these
two major players of South Asia. Exaggerated facts and propaganda not necessarily
always produce fruitful results. The role of media can be highly constructive
6. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
regarding the resolution of various issues such as, to highlight different aspects of
involving issues and to discuss available possible options to solve problems. This is
one of the major responsibilities upon the shoulders of media of both states Pakistan
and India in securing durable peace and harmony in the region of South Asia .On the
other hand, media hostility is another challenge and a reason for the failure of peace
efforts between the two sides. Media propaganda on both sides was mainly conducted
by the Indian media. In the event of an incident, militant attack or terrorist attack, the
media blamed the other state, as in almost all cases the Indian media attacked Pakistan
for the incident. The most important example is the Samjhota Express Blasts in 2006,
which killed more than 100 Pakistanis but indoctrinated media blamed Pakistan for
the attack. However, in the further course of the investigation, it was proved that the
far-right Hindus were involved in the attack. This negative media propaganda was
not controlled by any party, leading to greater hostility between the two states. So, the
media and societal animosity had often failed representatives for negotiations because
in certain cases the parties were unwilling to accept the suggested formula, as
Musharraf's five-pronged cashmere method was severely rejected by the Pakistanis in
2004 and at selected point by the media launched its own campaign that did not
survive the conflict resolution process.
Wars Held Between PAK-India:
1947-1948:
The first war between India and Pakistan was fought over Jammu & Kashmir. Armed
Pakistani tribesmen aided by the newly created Pakistani Army invade Jammu & Kashmir
in October 1947. The legalruler of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, faced
with internal revolt as well an external invasion, requestedthe assistance of the Indian armed
forces and agreed to accede to India. He handed over control of his defence, communications
and foreign affairs to the Indian government.
Fighting continued through the second half of 1948. The war officially ended on 1 January
1949, when the United Nations (UN) arranged a ceasefire, with an established ceasefire line,
a UN peacekeeping force and the recommendation that a referendum on the accession of
Jammu & Kashmir to India be held.
Pakistan controlled roughly one-third of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, referring to it as
Azad (Free) Jammu & Kashmir and claiming that it was semi-autonomous. A larger area,
including the former kingdoms of Hunza and Nagar, was controlled directly by the central
Pakistani government.
7. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
1965:
In 1965, India and Pakistan fought their second war, that was preceded by skirmishes that
took place between the two nations between April and September. There were thousands of
casualties on both sides in the war, and it witnessed the largest engagement of armored
vehicles and the largest tank battle since World War II. It ended after a UN mandated
ceasefire was declared following diplomatic intervention by the Soviet Union and the
United States (US), and the subsequent signing of the Tashkent Declaration.
TashkentDeclaration:
The Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed on 10
January 1966 that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Peace had been achieved on 23
September by the intervention of the external powers that pushed the two nations to cease
fire, afraid the conflict could escalate and draw in other powers.
Background:
The meeting was held in Tashkent in the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet
Union (now Uzbekistan) from 4 to 10 January 1966 to try to create a more permanent
settlement.
The Soviets, represented by Premier Aleksey Kosygin, moderated between Indian Prime
Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan.
ImportantClauses:
The important clauses of the declaration are
The President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India agreed to cultivate good
friendly and neighborly relations according to the Charter of the United Nation.
Under the UN Charter, they will use their energies to resolve their problems in a
peaceful way.
The President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India agreed to withdraw from
the war.
They agreed not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs.
Both leaders agreed to discourage all those actions which could be harmful for the
other country and encourage those which could promote the friendly relationship
between the two countries.
They agree that Higher Commissioners of Pakistan and India should come back to
their posts and make efforts for future developments of both countries.
They agree to make efforts for increasing bilateral trade and strengthening economic
ties between the two countries. They also agreed to enhance communication and
cultural information with each other.
8. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
Both leaders agreed to make some law of repatriation for the prisoners of war.
They agreed that in future they will discuss the problems of refugees also. They also
agreed for an agreement to return the property taken by the either side because of
the conflict.
Reaction of both Leaders:
The President of Pakistan and Prime Minister of India both showed respect and
paid homage to the efforts of Soviet Union. They admired the efforts of chairman of
the council of Ministers of the USSR for organizing such a pleasant and friendly
meeting. Both leaders thought that this declaration would prove very fruitful for the
future of the region.
Result:
This declaration was made at Ministerial level but the real fact was that all talks
became useless and no result was achieved because there was a huge difference in
public and government opinion on the Kashmir issue. The public perception and
excitement set in the minds of Pakistani people was that Pakistan was going to won
the war. But the Tashkent declaration was a negation of the same. This declaration
shocked them very much and the people started saying that Pakistan had won the
war in the battlefield but lost the war on the table. Tashkent declaration greatly
damaged the Ayub Khan’s personality and it became one of the main reasons of his
downfall.
1971-1972:
Formation ofBangladesh:
East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) became the reason for the third war between India and
Pakistan. The conflict between East and West Pakistan begins when the central Pakistani
government that was seated in West Pakistan, led by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, refused to allow
Awami League leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, an East Pakistan-based Bengali whose party
won the majority of seats in the 1970 parliamentary elections, to assume the premiership of
the country.
The Pakistani military cracked down on protestors in the Dhaka March in 1971 in which
students and teachers were killed in large numbers. India became involved in the conflict in
December, after the Pakistani Air Force launched a pre-emptive strike on airfields in India's
northwest. India retaliated with a coordinated land, air and sea assault on East Pakistan. It
compelled the Pakistani Army to surrender at Dhaka and more than 90,000 Pakistani
soldiers were taken prisoners of war.
East Pakistan becomes an independent country, Bangladesh, on 6 December 1971.
9. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
Simla Agreement:
In July 1972, the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Pakistani counterpart Prime
Minister Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto signed an agreement in the Indian town of Simla, in which both
countries agreed to put an end to the conflict and confrontation that have hitherto
marred bilateral relations and work for the promotion of a friendly and harmonious
relationship and the establishment of a durable peace in the subcontinent. Both sides agreed
to settle any disputes by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.
The Simla Agreement designated the ceasefire line of 17 December 1971 as being the
new Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries, which neither side was to seek to alter
unilaterally, and which shall be respected by both sides without prejudice to the recognised
position of either side. The Simla Agreement was ratified by the Parliaments of both India
and Pakistan in 1972.
1989:
Conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir:
Armed insurgency in the Kashmir Valley began. Muslim political parties, after accusing
the state government of rigging the 1987 state legislative elections, formed militant wings.
Pakistan declares that it was providing moral and diplomatic support to the militants.
However it is widely believed internationally that Pakistan is actually complicit in stoking
the insurgency by providing funding, directions, shelter, weapons and training to fighters.
India is convinced that the armed attacks against its forces in Jammu & Kashmir are a clear
manifestation of "cross-border terrorism" by Pakistan in pursuit of its policy of bleeding
India through a thousand cuts'. Pakistan denies this.
Militant groups taking part in the fight in the Kashmir Valley continued to emerge through
the 1990’s, their ranks bolstered by a large influx of battle-hardened "Mujahideen" who had
earlier taken part in the Afghan war against the Soviets.
Despite centuries of communal harmony in Jammu & Kashmir between Muslims, Hindus
and Buddhists, the minority Hindu community of Jammu & Kashmir (Kashmiri Pandits) in
the Kashmir Valley was targeted by the militants and forced to migrate.
10. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
Many pan-Islamic terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Taibah (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad
(JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen continued to be active in Jammu & Kashmir. It is widely
believed in international circles, including by several western governments, that these
groups are headquartered in Pakistan and Pakistan Administered Jammu & Kashmir.
1998:
NuclearExplosions:
India detonated five nuclear devices at Pokhran. Pakistan responded by detonating six
nuclear devices of its own in the Chaghai Hills. The tests resulted in international sanctions
being placed on both countries. Both countries became the newest Nuclear-armed nations.
1999:
Lahore Declaration:
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee travelledby bus to Lahore (newly openedDelhi–
Lahore Bus service) to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The two signed the Lahore
Declaration, the first major agreement between the two countries since the 1972 Simla
Agreement. Both countries reiterated that they remainedcommitted to the Simla Agreement,
and agreed to undertake a number of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) aimed at
improving bilateral relations.
Kargil Conflict:
In May, the Kargil conflict broke out when Pakistani forces intruded and occupied strategic
positions on the Indian side of the LoC, prompting an Indian counter offensive in which
Pakistani forces were pushed back to their side of the original LoC.
Kargil was the first armed conflict between the two neighbours since they officially
conducted nuclear weapons tests. Recognition of the potential for escalation of this conflict
and its wider implications caused the then US President Bill Clinton to summon Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and demand that he rein in his troops.
2001:
On 13 December, an armed attack on the Indian parliament in New Delhi left 14 peopledead.
LeT and JeM were held responsible for the attacks.
The attacks led to massing of India's and Pakistan's militaries along the LoC. The standoff
ended only in October 2002, after international mediation.
2004
11. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf held direct talks at the 12th South Asian
Association for RegionalCooperation(SAARC) summitin Islamabadin January, and the two
countries' Foreign Secretaries met later in the year. The year marked the beginning of the
Composite Dialogue Process, in which bilateral meetings were held between officials at
various levels of government (including Foreign Ministers, Foreign Secretaries, military
officers, border security officials, anti-narcotics officials and nuclear experts).
In November, on the eve of a visit to Jammu & Kashmir, the new Indian Prime Minister,
Manmohan Singh, announced that India will be reducing its deployment of troops there.
2008
MumbaiAttacks:
On 26 November, in one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks the world has witnessed,
armed gunmen openedfire on civilians at several sitesin Mumbai,India. The attacked places
were the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, the Oberoi Trident Hotel, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Train
Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, Nariman House Jewish Community Centre, Metro
Cinema, St Xavier's College and a lane near the Times of India office. More than 160 people
were killed in the attacks. An almost three-day siege of the Taj, where gunmen remained
holed up until all but one of them were killed in an Indian security forces operation,
accounted for the bulk of the casualties.
Ajmal Kasab, the only attacker captured alive, confessed that the attackers were members of
LeT. Tracking calls and communications all linked back to Pakistan, from where the entire
attack was plotted and directed.
In the wake of the attacks, India broke off talks with Pakistan.
2009
The Pakistani government admitted that the Mumbaiattacks were planned on Pakistanisoil,
but denied that the plotters were sanctioned or aided by Pakistan's intelligence agencies.
The Indian government continued to take a stern line with Pakistan, however, with its
coalition government saying that it was up to Pakistan to take the first step towards
resumption of substantive talks by cracking down on militant groups on its soil.
2013
In September, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met in New York on the sidelines of
the UN General Assembly. They agreed to end tension between the armies of both sides in
the disputed region of Jammu & Kashmir.
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Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
2014
On 1 May, Pakistan's Army Chief General Raheel Sharif calledKashmir the "jugular vein" of
Pakistan, adding that for lasting peace in the region the dispute should be resolved in
accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris and in line with the United Nations
Security Council resolutions.
On 27 May, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Pakistan's Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif in New Delhi. Both sides expressed willingness to begin a new era of bilateral
relations.
2015
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party forms the government in Indian
Administered Jammu & Kashmir in coalition with the local People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
in March. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, head of the PDP, is sworn in as Chief Minister.
2016:
JeM Terrorist:
JeM terrorists disguised as soldiers, carry out a deadly attack on Pathankot airbase in India’s
northwestern state of Punjab in January. The attack comes a week after Prime Minister Modi
made an impromptu visit to Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, in an effort to revive
bilateral talks.
UriAttack:
In September, JeM terrorists storm an army base in Uri, in Indian Administered Jammu &
Kashmir, and kill 17 Indian soldiers.
SurgicalStrikes:
On 29 September, India, in its first direct military response to the attack in Uri,
conducts ‘surgical strikes’ on suspected terrorists across the LoC in Pakistan Administered
Jammu & Kashmir.
ModiArrrival:
In December, on his way back from Afghanistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
makes a surprise visitto Lahore on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's birthday and the wedding
of his granddaughter.
2017:
Indian Attack in Nowshera:
13. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
The Indian Army bombs Pakistani Army check posts in Nowshera along the LoC in May,
which according to Army spokesman, Ashok Narula, was done in order to prevent
infiltration of terrorists into Indian Administered Jammu & Kashmir.
Attack on Hindu Pilgrims:
Terrorists attack Hindu pilgrims in Jammu & Kashmir in July, killing at least 7 and injuring
16, in the worst such attack since 2000.
Killing of Soldiers:
In December, Indian Army commandos cross the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir and kill
3Pakistani soldiers, two days after four Indian Army men were shot dead in an ambush in
Keri sector of Rajouri.
2018:
Tactical operationsand cross-borderfirings :
In January, the Indian Army claims that in total, it has killed 138 Pakistan Army personnel
in 2017 in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the LoC in Jammu &
Kashmir and lost 28 soldiers during the same period.
Ceasefire Pact:
In May, after several months of deadly violence and cross-border firing along the LoC, India
and Pakistan agree to fully implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and
spirit” forthwith to stop cross-border firing.
BAT Attack:
Later during the month, Indian specialforces foil an attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team
(BAT).
Reportof OHCHR:
In June, the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issues the
first ever UN report detailinghuman rights abuses in Kashmir titled “Reporton the Situation
of Human Rights in Kashmir: Developments in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir from
June 2016 to April 2018, and General Human Rights Concerns in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
and Gilgit-Baltistan”. This 49-page report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid
Ra'ad Al Hussein displays a pronounced pro-Pakistan bias in its assessment of the human
rights situation on the two sides of the LoC while UN designated terrorist organizations and
terrorists are classified ‘armed groups’ and ‘leaders’, as many as 38 times, in the report by
the OHCHR.
2019:
Sucide Bombing Attack:
On 14 February, 40 members of the Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are killed in
a suicide bombing in Pulwama in Indian Administered Jammu & Kashmir. This is the
deadliest assault on Indian forces in the troubled region in decades.
14. PAK-INDIARelations:
Shereen Bakhtawar Afridi
On 15 February, JeM, a Pakistan based terrorist organization, claims the attack and releases
a video identifying the suicide bomber.
Two days later, India hikes tariffs on all imports from Pakistan to 200% with immediate
effect.
On 18 February, days after orchestrating a devastating suicide bombing which left 40 Indian
security forces dead, JeM terrorists kill an Indian Army major and at least 3other soldiers in
Jammu & Kashmir. Reportedly, 2 terrorists, including a commander of the JeM, thought to
have been a mastermind behind the attack on 14 February, are killed in an exchange of
gunfire with the Indian Army.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on 19 February expresses his willingness to negotiate
and cooperate with India regarding the Pulwama attack on 14 February.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vows a strong response, saying that “…We will give
a befitting reply, our neighbour will not be allowed to destabilise us”.
Indian and Pakistani armies exchange fire on 25 February at the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir's
Rajouri district.
On 26 February, the Indian government carries out ‘non-military pre-emptive’ strikes
targeting Pakistan-based terrorist group JeM's ‘biggest training camp’ near Balakot in the
Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. After initially denying that any such incident
had occurred, Pakistan subsequently acknowledges that Indian fighter aircraft had indeed
penetrated deep into Pakistani territory undetected and had dropped bombs near Balakot.
Major General Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson for the Pakistan armed forces, however, said that
the strikes hit an empty area.
On 27 February, the Pakistan Army warns that it will respond to India’s aerial bombing. The
Indian Air Force shoots down a Pakistani F-16 fighter, while Pakistan downs two Indian
fighter jets and captures one Indian pilot.
On 28 February, Imran Khan says that the captured Indian Air Force pilot would be released
as a “peacegesture”. Reportssuggest that the PakistaniPrime Minister may have beenunder
international pressure, especially from the US.
In the first week of April, India and Pakistan trade fire in the region of Jammu & Kashmir,
leaving 7 people dead.