A deadly attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir has triggered the worst fighting between India and Pakistan in years. Both countries are now exchanging gunfire and taking serious political and economic actions against each other.
The crisis began on April 22, 2025, when a terror attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist area in Indian-administered Kashmir, killed 26 civilians.
According to Indian officials, the attackers included two Pakistanis and one Indian linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group based in Pakistan and listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the nation during his monthly radio program on Sunday, April 27, 2025, and promised justice:
“Terrorists and their patrons want Kashmir to be destroyed again. But the victims will get justice.”
Following the attack, Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire for three nights along the Line of Control (LoC), the heavily militarized de facto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
The Indian Army blamed Pakistan for the “unprovoked” firing, while Pakistan has not officially commented on the border clashes.
In response to the Pahalgam killings, Indian authorities:
Bombed nine homes of suspected militants in Kupwara District, Kashmir.
Handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s top counter-terror body.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly denied Pakistan’s involvement and called India’s claims “baseless”.
He offered to join a neutral investigation, saying:
“Pakistan is open to participating in any neutral, transparent, and credible investigation.”
In a major move, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, a historic agreement that divided river usage between the two countries.
The treaty guaranteed Pakistan access to 80% of the Indus River system, crucial for farming and drinking water for 240 million Pakistanis.
India’s Water Resources Minister Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil said:
“We will ensure no drop of the Indus River’s water reaches Pakistan.”
India announced it would immediately:
Stop sharing river data.
Cancel flood warnings to Pakistan.
Skip annual meetings under the treaty.
Plan diversion projects to use water domestically for Indian farms.
According to two Indian officials (who spoke anonymously), India cannot immediately stop water flows but could divert rivers for Indian use within months and build new hydroelectric dams in 4 to 7 years.
In Pakistan, the news caused panic, especially among farmers in Sindh province, near the Indus River.
Experts warn that if India blocks or diverts water, over 80% of Pakistani farmland which covers 16 million hectares could dry up.
Economist Vaqar Ahmed from Oxford Policy Management said:
“Pakistan underestimated the threat. This creates a crucial window to fix water problems.”
The United Nations has called for both sides to show “maximum restraint” and settle the issue through peaceful talks.
