The Kashmir conflict continues to cast a long shadow over relations between India and Pakistan. What began in the aftermath of British India’s partition in 1947, evolved into a series of wars, insurgencies, and diplomatic stand-offs, punctuated by intermittent attempts at peace.
The most recent flashpoint came in April, when a deadly terrorist attack on Indian civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam triggered a calibrated military response by India.
Here’s a timeline tracing the major milestones in this seven-decade-long conflict:
1947: The Roots of Discord
The seeds of the Kashmir dispute were sown during the partition of British India. While princely states were given the choice to join India or Pakistan, the decision over Kashmir, home to a Muslim majority but ruled by a Hindu monarch, was delayed. After tribal fighters from Pakistan invaded the region, Maharaja Hari Singh acceded to India in exchange for military protection. This act triggered the first war between the two nascent nations.
1949: Ceasefire and the Line of Divide
Following intense conflict, a UN-mediated ceasefire was reached in January 1949. The agreement established a de facto boundary, later called the Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir between Indian and Pakistani administration. Though temporary in nature, the division became entrenched, leaving the political future of the region unresolved.
1965: Another War Erupts
In the summer of 1965, simmering tensions once again boiled over. A Pakistani infiltration attempt in Kashmir escalated into a full-blown war. Lasting about three weeks, the conflict resulted in significant casualties before ending in a Soviet-brokered ceasefire. A peace accord signed in Tashkent aimed to prevent future escalation, though the underlying issues remained.
1972: Redrawing Lines After a Regional War
In the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh, leaders of both nations met in Shimla and agreed to convert the ceasefire line into the formal "Line of Control." While this did not change the status of the territories under Indian and Pakistani control, it was an effort to promote bilateral resolution and reduce hostilities.
1987–1990s: Rise of Militancy in the Valley
By the late 1980s, political discontent in Indian-administered Kashmir, fueled by allegations of election rigging, spiraled into a full-scale insurgency. Pakistan lent support, moral and material, to militant groups operating in the region. The valley became a battleground, with violent encounters, bombings, and militant attacks becoming routine throughout the 1990s.
1999: The Kargil War
Just months after a hopeful peace summit between Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, the Kargil War erupted. Pakistani intrusions into Indian positions along the LoC in Kargil were met with a strong military response.
India recaptured the territory, and the conflict ended with Pakistani troops withdrawing under international pressure. It was a stark reminder of how fragile peace in the region was, even during diplomatic overtures.
2019: Pulwama Bombing and Abrogation of Article 370
A suicide bombing in Pulwama in February 2019 killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, sparking airstrikes by India deep into Pakistani territory. Tensions soared, but war was averted.
Later that year, India revoked Article 370 of its Constitution, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomy. The move was accompanied by a communications blackout, mass detentions, and a surge in security presence, provoking condemnation from Pakistan and concerns internationally.
2025: The Pahalgam Massacre
On April 22, 2025, gunmen killed 26 civilians, mainly Hindu tourists, in a targeted assault in the Pahalgam region of Kashmir. India swiftly pointed fingers at Pakistan-based terrorist groups, though Islamabad denied any role and offered to assist in investigations. Despite this, on May 7, India launched 'Operation Sindoor,' striking multiple terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Islamabad condemned the attacks as a breach of sovereignty, vowing to respond in due course.
