Tensions between India and Pakistan have surged again, prompting widespread precautionary measures in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where authorities have closed over 1,000 religious schools and residents are preparing underground bunkers amid fears of an imminent Indian military strike.
The escalation follows a deadly gun attack in Indian-administered Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives. India has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi granting his military “complete operational freedom” to respond. Pakistan has denied any involvement but claims it has “credible evidence” of a potential retaliatory strike from India within 24 to 36 hours.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the intelligence warning in a televised address, saying the government has begun taking defensive measures. Among them is the closure of madrassas across the region for a 10-day period, a decision confirmed by local religious officials and tied directly to fears of cross-border escalation.
Roughly 1.5 million residents live near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Indian and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. In areas like Chakothi, locals are reinforcing mud-walled bunkers or building new ones where possible. “For one week we have been living in constant fear, particularly concerning the safety of our children,” said Iftikhar Ahmad Mir, a local shopkeeper.
Emergency services in Muzaffarabad have begun conducting safety drills with schoolchildren, training them in basic first aid and fire response in the event of an attack. Eleven-year-old Ali Raza told AFP he had learned how to carry the wounded and extinguish fires, reflecting the growing unease in the region.
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a second high-level Cabinet Committee on Security meeting this week to review the situation and weigh military options. While no official course of action has been announced, India has a range of precedent options, including covert ground operations, airstrikes, and precision surgical strikes—tactics it has employed in past retaliatory efforts such as the 2016 Uri attack response and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes following the Pulwama bombing.
India has also responded diplomatically and economically. On Wednesday, it closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft, days after Islamabad implemented a reciprocal ban on Indian airlines.
Meanwhile, cross-border skirmishes have continued, with Indian and Pakistani forces exchanging fire along the LoC for several consecutive nights. No casualties have been confirmed, but the sustained gunfire reflects heightened military readiness on both sides.
Internationally, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions are underway. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged both countries to de-escalate during calls with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Rubio also encouraged Pakistan to cooperate in the investigation into the Kashmir attack, which India views as an act of cross-border terrorism.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has offered his assistance to both parties, expressing concern about the possibility of further conflict and emphasizing the need to prevent a wider confrontation.
Kashmir remains a flashpoint in South Asia, with India and Pakistan having fought multiple wars over the region since their independence in 1947. Armed insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir began in 1989, and despite various diplomatic efforts, cross-border tensions and proxy violence continue to fuel instability.
While Pakistan maintains it provides only diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri separatist movement, India accuses Islamabad of harboring and supporting militant groups—a claim New Delhi says is reinforced by repeated attacks targeting Indian civilians and security forces.
As the situation develops, the international community is watching closely. With nuclear weapons on both sides and unresolved territorial disputes at the heart of the conflict, the coming days could prove pivotal for regional stability.
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