Indo-Pak conflict in South Asia: dynamics of Kashmir issue and the way forward for peace

Abstract

India and Pakistan have experienced various military conflicts since their inception in 1947. The Kashmir issue is one of the most pertinent causes of conflict between both nations as they have gone to war in 1948, 1965 and 1999 on the issue of Kashmir. This matter was also brought to the United Nations Security Council for resolution. However, India has categorically refused to seek any international mediation over this issue by terming it as an internal issue of India. Both countries officially joined the nuclear club in May 1998, which posed a severe threat to the security of the South Asian region as it enabled them to use the nuclear option in future. After acquiring atomic status, both countries came close to war in 2001 when armies were deployed on forward positions on international borders and in 2019 when Pakistan shot down the Indian Air Force fighter jet in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2019, especially after India revoked Article 370, relations between the two countries have been dismal. The paper contemplates the background of this conflict and the resultant wars between India and Pakistan and presents confidence-building measures for the pursuit of peace-making in South Asia.