Border tension and security challenges, Pahalgam attack!
a beautiful morning
The sun rose slowly with sweet sunshine on the eastern horizon. Nature seems to spread a calm, mellow passion all around. The mountains, forest and wind combine to paint a beautiful picture of peace.
Pehelgam attack is bustling with smiling faces of tourists scattered around.
Just then… a sudden loud noise!
Everything stops in an instant.
The blissful morning sank into silence. Takes away some precious lives, stops the pulse of many smiles…”
23 April 2025—South Asia heats up again. At least 26 people were killed and around 20 injured in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam area, known as the ‘mini Switzerland’ of India. Indian security forces claimed that Pakistan-backed terrorist groups were behind the attack.
After this incident, the tension on the border of the two countries increased. The international community has also expressed deep concern over the threat of war.
Pak-India Clash: Terrible Terror Attack in Pahalgam
Pehelgam is a famous tourist area in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where most of the routes are on horseback or on foot.
A brutal terrorist attack was organized there on April 23 this year. 26 people were killed in this attack, including one Muslim (Syed Adil Hussain Shah), one Christian and the remaining 24 were Hindus. All the victims were men.
The Indian government has directly accused Pakistan of having direct support for the terror attack.
Beginning of Indo-Pak War: Origin of Kashmir Question
After the end of British colonial rule in 1947, the Indian subcontinent was divided into two independent states—India and Pakistan. Since the partition, conflicts and conflicts have started between the two countries, with Kashmir becoming the focal point.
Kashmir was a state ruled by a Hindu king, Maharaja Harisingh, although the majority of the population was Muslim. He was interested in annexing Kashmir to India, while Pakistan wanted to include Kashmir as part of its territory. From this dispute in 1947 between India and Pakistan.
The first war broke out. For nearly eight decades since then, relations between the two countries have remained strained, with the Kashmir issue at its center.
Kashmir
Kashmir was first invaded by Pakistan-ruled tribal fighters in 1947. The then Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh appealed to the Indian government for military assistance and signed an Instrument of Accession with India. Following this, the Indian Army entered Kashmir. About 2-3 lakh people were killed in this war. The war ended with UN mediation. In the post-war period, the Kashmir region was divided into two parts—the Pakistan-controlled part known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Indian part divided into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The effective border between the two countries is the “Line of Control (LoC)”.
The second battle took place in 1965, known as “Operation Gibraltar”. Pakistan secretly sends troops into Kashmir, leading to conflict. The war lasted only 17 days and eventually India and Pakistan signed the Tashkent Agreement, mediated by Soviet Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin.
The third war took place in 1971, which was essentially part of the Bangladesh War of Independence. India won the war and Pakistan surrendered. As a result, Bangladesh emerged as an independent state.
Kashmir
The fourth war took place in 1999, known as the Kargil War. Pakistani troops sneaked into the Kargil region of India, but the Indian army put up a strong resistance and forced Pakistan to retreat. Pakistan suffered heavy losses in this war.
Apart from these four major wars, there have been minor skirmishes and tensions along the border between India and Pakistan at various times.
Terrorist attacks in India in past years:
Not just the Pahalgam attack, India has been facing a series of terror attacks for the past few years. Notable among these are—
November 2016: Attack on Nagrota army camp in Kashmir
July 2017: Attack on Amarnath Yatra
February 2018: Attack on San Juan Military Station
February 2019: Pulwama attack
March 2019: Grenade blast at Jammu bus stand
June 2019: Attack on paramilitary police convoy
2023: Poonch-Rajouri attack
2024: Reyasi attack
But the question remains – why the Indian government could not take appropriate steps to prevent these attacks for so many years?
Let’s take this year’s Pehelgam attack. While investigating the incident, it was found that there were not enough security forces deployed in the tourist area. A victim survived for about an hour and a half after being shot,
Why is Kashmir important?
Since the beginning, there has been tension and conflict between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. But why is this Kashmir so important to the two countries? Answering this question requires a little review of Kashmir. It is located on the border of the Himalayas, which is also of great military importance to both countries. Many rivers originate from here, which are very important for agriculture and livelihood of both countries. It is also called the ‘Mini Switzerland’ of India, which attracts a large number of tourists and serves as one of the sources of foreign exchange earnings. So it cannot be said that fighting over Kashmir between two countries is not very unreasonable.
Weapons and Military Strength of Pakistan and India:
Around 1974, India conducted its first atomic bomb test. On the other hand, Pakistan conducted its first nuclear bomb test in 1998. Now let’s see that India has the 2nd position in the world in the number of soldiers.
Military strength of India:
Active Army: 14 lakh 60 thousand
Reserve Army: 11 lakh 60 thousand
Paramilitary forces: 25 lakh 30 thousand
Total Army: About 51 Lakhs
Military strength of Pakistan:
Active Army: 6 lakh 54 thousand
Reserve Army: 6 lakh 50 thousand
Total Army: About 17 Lakhs
There are also some irregular forces.
Ground Forces:
India-Pakistan has a 3,323 km long land border, making ground forces very important in the war.
Tanks: India – 4,614, Pakistan – 3,742
Armored vehicles: India – 1,51,248, Pakistan – 50,000
Artillery: India – 9,719, Pakistan – 4,472
Special Forces:
India: Para SF, Assassination Force, MARCOS
Pakistan: SSG, Naval and Special Service Wing
Air Force:
India:
Total aircraft – 2,229
Fighter aircraft – 513-606
Modern aircraft – SU-30MKI, Rafale, Apache, Chinook helicopters
Defense system – S-400, air
AEW&C – 4 t
Pakistan:
Total aircraft – 1,399–1,434
Fighter aircraft – 328-387
Modern Aircraft – F-16, AH-1F Cobra, JF-17, Mirage-III and V
AEW&C – 7 t
Pakistan is slightly ahead in the number of helicopters
Navy:
India:
Ships – 294
Aircraft carriers – 2
Submarines – 18
Destroyers – 13
Frigate – 14
Patrol boats – 106
Fighters – 75
Membership – 67,700
Pakistan:
Ships – 121
Submarines – 8
Frigates – (Numbers mentioned)
Patrol boats – 17
Fighter aircraft – 8
Membership – 23,800
Nuclear Capacity:
India:
Nuclear weapons – 130–140 t
Missiles – Agni-3, Agni-5 (range 3,000–5,000 km)
Nuclear Submarine – INS Arihant
Nuclear Capable Fighters – Mirage 2000, Rafale
Pakistan:
Nuclear weapons – 140-150
Missile – Shaheen-2, Shaheen-3
Cruise Missile – Babur
Nuclear Capable Fighter – F-16
Organized conflict in 2025:
India’s Operation Sindur, which launched missile strikes on Pakistan along the Line of Control, involved 75-80 Indian warplanes. The fleet consisted of the latest fighter jets including French-made Rafale, Russian Sukhoi-30 (SU-30), MiG-29, which can carry missiles such as SCALP and SPICE 2000.
In contrast, 40-45 fighter jets of Chinese-made J-10C and JF-17 Thunder models, along with BLK-IS missiles, take part in the defense of Pakistan’s airspace. Pakistani and Indian fighter jets fired missiles at each other when the aircraft came within missile range. This dogfight lasted for more than 1 hour. Pakistan’s air defense system is joined by the Chinese HQ-9.
A review of the military strength of the two countries shows that a full-scale war between the two countries again would bring destruction to both countries.
Conclusion:
The context of the Indo-Pak war has been controversial since its inception. War never brings peace, war brings violence and destruction. Terrorist attacks on India are highly condemnable. which means the fear of dire consequences. The Government of India needs to adopt stronger military measures to prevent terrorist attacks. Security should be strengthened, especially in tourist areas and populated areas. In this regard, Pakistan should also be aware of its own movements. If a war situation does not develop between the two countries, a negotiated solution can be expected. Above all, avoid war, come forward for peace.