India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two over Muslim-majority Kashmir, which is divided between them but claimed fully by both. The clashes followed the attack last Tuesday, when gunmen opened fire in a meadow near Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. Violence had been steadily abating in Kashmir, and the attack struck a heavy blow to the region’s recovering tourism industry. In tit-for-tat moves, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a critical water-sharing pact, expelled Pakistani diplomats and cancelled Pakistani visas. “India lacks the hydro infrastructure needed to actually impede the flow of water to Pakistan in the short term,” Brahma Chellaney, an analyst, said.

Source: The Guardian April 27, 2025 11:27 UTC