May 2025 saw South Asia experience one of its worst military crises in recent years. Between May 7 and May 10, the two nuclear-armed nations engaged in cycles of air, drone, and missile strikes, damaging each other’s defence installations, communication tools, and main cities. Since the 1971 war, it was the first time that Indian missiles struck Pakistan’s Punjab region. Consequently, Pakistani missiles retaliated by hitting Indian military bases located in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir. Such actions brought about consequences away from the battlefield. Those living along the Line of Control (LoC) were forced to move away from their homes, the necessary infrastructure was ruined, and the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and the Simla Agreement came close to collapse.

The series of attacks began after 26 Hindu tourists were killed in Pahalgam, a place in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22. The incident occurred near the Line of Control, which is the border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Narendra Modi firmly expressed his disapproval of the attack and said those involved would be held accountable. The Resistance Front (TRF) announced its involvement in the attack. TRF was established by the original Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which organised the devastating 2008 Mumbai attacks that were one of India’s most severe attacks in history. Consequently, ties between the two nations were downgraded, Pakistani military personnel were withdrawn, and all trade was stopped. This led to the first time in history that IWT was suspended. Therefore, Pakistan cancelled the Simla Agreement, which is the basis for accepting the LoC. Such actions went beyond routine procedures and revealed a concerning readiness to abandon key legal tools meant to settle disputes between the countries.

India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, aimed at what it referred to as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Missiles struck six locations, including Muridke and Bahawalpur. India claimed these cities were home to the headquarters of groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The strikes were framed by India as limited, proportionate, and focused on........

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