Indo-Pakistan Relations - 2 - UPSC Mains International Relations PDF Download

 Summary 

• India – Pakistan relations since independence are marked by distinct phases of ups and downs.
• Phase of open conflict (1947 – 2001): This phase saw repeated armed conflicts, including the first Kashmir war (1947–48), the 1965 and 1971 wars, and the limited Kargil conflict of 1999.
  (i) Cross-border militancy in Jammu & Kashmir intensified from the late 1980s onward and continues to shape the security dynamic even today.
  (ii) Both countries displayed their nuclear weapon capabilities during this phase through tests in 1998. 
• Phase of reconciliation (2001-2008): This phase was marked by cordial overtures and structured dialogue. A formal ceasefire understanding along the Line of Control was reached in 2003, confidence-building measures were initiated, and cross-LoC trade and travel routes were opened for the first time by both sides. 
• Phase of interrupted engagement (2008 - 2015): The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 derailed dialogue; limited exchanges resumed later under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy with symbolic high-level visits such as the 2015 Lahore stopover.
• Phase of confrontation (2016–2019): Cross-border terrorism peaked with major attacks at Pathankot (2016), Uri (2016), and Pulwama (2019). India conducted surgical strikes in 2016 and an airstrike in Balakot in 2019. Trade and diplomatic ties deteriorated sharply during this period. 
• Phase of deep freeze and escalation (2019 – present, 2025): Following India’s revocation of Article 370 in 2019, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended trade. After a deadly terror attack in Kashmir in April 2025, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and banned Pakistani imports, while Pakistan shut its airspace and all trade routes. A new ceasefire understanding was quietly brokered in May 2025 under international pressure.
• India and Pakistan’s historic belligerence is founded on some basic irritants which include the history of partition, the Kashmir dispute, water distribution, boundary disagreements, and the continuing acrimony of Pakistan’s military establishment for its failures in wars with India. Water tensions have deepened after India’s April 2025 suspension of Indus Waters Treaty cooperation.
• Above irritants have manifested into several face-offs in different domains, including a complete freeze in bilateral trade, separatist activities in Punjab, cross-border skirmishes, and an ongoing nuclear arms race.
• The international events and shifting of global power balance also affect India-Pakistan relations. It is in light of these changes that India should plan its policy vis-à-vis Pakistan in the future.
• Political-level engagement remains near zero; both missions are run by Chargés d’affaires with minimal staff. People-to-people exchanges and visas are heavily restricted, and India rejects external mediation — any dialogue occurs only through quiet back-channels or crisis management.