Why India and Pakistan Keep Clashing: A History of Tension and Terror Links
Since their separation in
1947, India and Pakistan have had a rocky relationship. While they aren’t
always at war, tensions are often high, with four major wars and many
skirmishes between them. But why does this keep happening?
🌍 The Root Cause:
Partition and the Kashmir Problem
When British India was split
into two countries in 1947, India and Pakistan, it led to one of the bloodiest
migrations in history. Millions moved across borders based on religion, and
deep mistrust followed.
The
biggest issue that still sparks conflict today is Kashmir.
- Kashmir was a princely
state with a Muslim majority but a Hindu ruler.
- India and Pakistan both claimed it.
- This led to wars in 1947,
1965,
and the Kargil conflict in 1999.
- Even today, the Line of
Control (LoC) in Kashmir is a heavily guarded, tense zone.
🔥
Why Tensions Stay High
1.
Religious Divide: India is majority
Hindu. Pakistan is majority Muslim. After the partition, both countries developed very
different national identities. This continues to fuel political and cultural
clashes.
2.
Power Struggles: Both nations want
to be the regional superpower. They’ve backed different sides in wars,
partnered with different countries (like the U.S., China, and Russia), and
sometimes used proxy wars instead of direct fighting.
3.
Elections and
Politics:
Tough talk against the other country often wins votes at home. So, during
elections or crises, both sides ramp up hostile rhetoric.
4.
Terror Attacks: India blames
Pakistan for attacks like the 2008 Mumbai attacks,
accusing it of supporting terrorist groups. Pakistan denies this, saying it’s
also a victim of terrorism.
💣 Terrorism and the
Pakistan Government: What’s the Connection?
This is one of the most
controversial questions in South Asia. While Pakistan denies supporting
terrorists, there’s a long history that shows otherwise.
🕰️
How It All Started
- In the 1980s,
during the Soviet-Afghan war, Pakistan (with help
from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia) supported mujahideen fighters in
Afghanistan.
- Many of those fighters later formed terrorist
groups.
- In the 1990s,
Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, allegedly
backed groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
and Jaish-e-Mohammed
(JeM) to fight in Kashmir and keep influence in
Afghanistan.
Taliban Ties
Pakistan helped the Taliban
rise to power in the 1990s to have a friendly government in neighboring Afghanistan.
Even after 9/11, when Pakistan joined the U.S.-led “War on Terror,” critics say
it still quietly supported Taliban-linked groups like the Haqqani
Network.
Terrorist Safe Havens?
- The U.S. has called Pakistan a “safe
haven” for terrorists.
- The fact that Osama bin
Laden was found in Pakistan in 2011 shocked the world and
raised questions about whether he had protection.
- India, the U.S., and many experts say
Pakistan’s ISI gave shelter, funding, and training to anti-India groups.
🧾 Evidence of State
Support?
Several officials have made admissions:
- In 2015,
former President Pervez Musharraf
said Pakistan trained militants for Kashmir.
- In 2018,
ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
hinted that state-backed actors were involved in the Mumbai
attacks.
- In 2025,
current Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif
admitted on international TV that Pakistan supported terror groups for
decades, calling it a mistake and blaming Western pressure during the Cold
War.
A 2025 Indian report said
the ISI gives funding and safe houses to terror groups like LeT, JeM, and
others.
💸 Terror Funding and
FATF Pressure
- Lashkar-e-Taiba and others have
reportedly raised millions through front groups like Jamaat-ud-Dawa
(JuD).
- FATF (Financial
Action Task Force), a global watchdog, put Pakistan on its “grey
list” multiple times for failing to stop terror financing.
- While Pakistan has made arrests and
frozen some assets, critics say it hasn’t fully cracked down.
🔄 What’s Happening
Now?
- Pakistan is now
targeting groups like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
that attack inside its own borders.
- Operations like Zarb-e-Azb
have weakened TTP, but the threat still exists, especially since the Afghan
Taliban came back to power in 2021.
- Leaders of LeT and JeM have been jailed
recently, but many believe it's just to satisfy FATF and avoid sanctions.
Latest Flashpoint (2025)
- In April 2025,
a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu
& Kashmir, killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
- India blamed Pakistan and launched
strikes on what it called terrorist camps across the border.
- Pakistan denied involvement and warned of
retaliation.
Pakistan’s View
Pakistan says it’s a victim
of terrorism, not a sponsor. Since 2001, it claims to have
lost:
- Over 23,000
civilians
- 8,800+ security
personnel
- $126 billion in economic
damage
It accuses India and
Afghanistan of backing anti-Pakistan groups like the TTP and Baloch militants.
🔍 Final Thoughts
The truth lies in a complicated middle
ground.
- Yes, Pakistan’s military and ISI have historically
supported groups like LeT and JeM.
- Pakistan has taken steps to crack down, especially when under pressure.
- But selective
action remains a problem. Groups targeting India often
seem to get more leeway than those attacking inside Pakistan.
This policy of using
militants as “strategic tools” has backfired, creating new threats and global
pressure.
Bottom Line:
India and Pakistan’s rivalry is deep-rooted in history, identity, and power
struggles. Terrorism only adds fuel to the fire. Until both sides commit to
long-term peace and accountability, the region will remain stuck in a dangerous
cycle.
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