Diya Ashtakala
On May 7, 2025, India launched missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. India stated that the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure, while Pakistan rejected India’s claims. The strikes took place after two weeks of flare-ups between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a town in India-administered Kashmir. Both countries adopted diplomatic and military measures in response to the situation, drawing international attention. India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10, after three days of military operations and as the countries stood on the precipice of war.
The crisis between the two nuclear-armed countries indicates how rapidly tensions can escalate to dangerous levels. The intensity of the conflict exceeded that of past episodes, with several rounds of retaliation that undermined strategic stability in South Asia. This is also the first time India and Pakistan have engaged in drone warfare in their rivalry, indicating a new era of technological conflict in the region. The conflict underscores the need for heightened international attention to South Asia more broadly—not only during a crisis, as tensions over the Line of Control (LOC) occur even during relative peacetime. While the ceasefire continues to hold, the region should not reactively develop off-ramps only when tensions reach critical levels. The upcoming dialogues between India and Pakistan, as part of the ceasefire agreement, provide an opportunity for both countries to explore off-ramps and engage in confidence-building measures (CBMs).
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