The conflict between Pakistan and India centres on the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. India claims the entire region based on a 1947 accession signed by the then-Maharaja, arguing it legally made Kashmir part of India. Pakistan disputes the legitimacy of this accession and maintains that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied their right to self-determination. UN Security Council resolutions passed between 1948 and 1957 asserted that sovereign title over Kashmir had not passed to either country, and the territory therefore remains disputed.
In light of the recent escalation between the two countries in April-May 2025 following the Pahalgam attack, the issue of Kashmir’s sovereignty has been brought to the fore once again. Beyond territorial implications, the dispute also includes other various dimensions, such as water-sharing along the shared Indus River, for which the Indus Waters Treaty has been signed, hostilities across the Line of Control established under the Simla Agreement, contentions over cross-border terrorism, nuclear deterrence and general South Asian cooperation. RSIL has been involved extensively in clarifying Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir and explored how India’s actions violate international law.
