Even after almost 80 years of their separation, Pakistan and India are still at daggers drawn, making the world’s populous region volatile, hampering it from peace and prosperity.

The Root of Rivalry and Repeated Conflict

The two nuclear neighbors had a short war in May this year. Although the apparent cause of this war was a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the underlying cause of this war was the unresolved Kashmir issue. Both states hold that the Kashmir region is part of their territory due to some historical events and the unfair and incomplete partition of the British colonizers. In the past, every effort to resolve this issue bilaterally was disrupted by regional non-state actors. However, the involvement of international players behind these disruptions to keep the region destabilized could not be ignored.

Diplomatic Deadlock and Its Human Consequences

Since their inception, both countries have been in an uneasy relationship. The diplomatic interactions between the two sides are at their lowest ebb. For years, neither side has appointed its High Commissioner to the other side, leaving those in need of instant consular assistance helpless, demonstrating a callous approach towards their respective citizens. India and Pakistan hold divided families on either side of the border. However,........

© New Eastern Outlook