Pakistan vs India: Why is Kashmir back in the headlines?

A deadly attack that killed 26 people on Wednesday in Indian-administered Kashmir has rehashed diplomatic tensions that have spanned for decades.

Dozens were killed after four armed gunmen opened fire on a group of vacationers in the tourist town of Pahalgam, in what is being described as the deadliest attack that has taken place on tourists since 2000.

"The atmosphere in the region is tense and weighed down by grief," a journalist based in Kashmir told The New Arab. "In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, a palpable sense of fear and uncertainty hangs in the air."

"Security has been ramped up, with increased checkpoints contributing to an environment of suspicion and unease."

The journalist added that the authorities have detained around 1,500 young people from across the Kashmir Valley following the incident.

"Popular tourist spots appear deserted, as visitors continue to leave the region in large numbers," the journalist said.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed on Thursday to pursue the attackers "to the ends of the earth".

India implied that its rival neighbouring country, Pakistan, is somewhat responsible, with Modi's government saying the group had "cross-border" links to Pakistan.

India did not produce any evidence connecting the attack to Pakistan, and Islamabad has denied any connection to the attack.

Pakistan accused India of using "an unfortunate incident of terrorism" as a pretext to jettison a treaty it has long been trying to evade. Pakistan’s deputy prime minister has called on India to provide proof of Pakistan's involvement.

Police in the Indian-administered region have since named three of the alleged assailants behind the killings, with two believed to be Pakistani nationals.

An offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, known as The Resistance Front (TRF) have taken responsibility for the attack, expressing discontent that over 85,000 "outsiders" had been settled in the region, spurring a "demographic change".

The group added that the civilians killed were "linked to and affiliated with Indian security agencies".

TRF was formed in 2019 after the Indian government revoked Kashmir's partial autonomy in August 2019.

Tit-for-tat diplomatic tensions

Holding its neighbour responsible, India has downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan with a series of measures, including summoning Pakistan's top diplomat in New Delhi, calling for its citizens visiting Pakistan to return home, and urging Indian nationals to avoid travelling to the state.

Having witnessed the current atmosphere and decades of violence in the region, the Kashmiri journalist notes for the younger generation, there is "a deep sense of anxiety about what happened".

"This kind of situation is unfamiliar and unsettling for them."

India also closed the Attari border crossing to the state, affecting small traders and industries reliant on cross-border trade and Pakistanis trying to escape in the aftermath of the attack.

The state also cancelled visas issued to Pakistani nationals under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) visa exemption programme.

New Delhi expelled Pakistani military advisers, declaring "persona non grata" and giving them one week to leave. The state will also be withdrawing its military advisors from the High Commission in Islamabad from 55 to 30.

India also suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that withstood two wars, which could spark broader geopolitical tensions, regional instability and food insecurity.

The Indus Water Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, allows for the sharing of the Indus River system's waters. India controls the water that comes from the three eastern rivers, but must allow unrestricted access from the western rivers to Pakistan.

Islamabad is heavily dependent on the Indus water for its hydropower and irrigation needs.

Pakistan has issues with retaliatory diplomatic measures against its rival, including shutting down airspace and closing down the Wagah Border Post, and suspending trade routes, adding that any attempts to divert the water will be an "act of war".

Air India announced that it would reroute some of its flights operating between India and North America, Europe, and the Middle East due to the air blockade.

Islamabad also suspended all visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES), and all Indian nationals in the country under the scheme are being instructed to leave within 48 hours.

The country has declared the Indian Defence, Naval and Air Advisers in Islamabad persona non grata.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called India's moves as "unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit".

The attacks have  led to a series of protests in both countries, with Pakistanis rallying against India's threats, while protesters in New Delhi banded together against "Islamic terrorism".

A disputed region

Kashmir has long been a disputed region between India and Pakistan, with both claiming the territory in its entirety and administering parts of it separately.

The Indian government stripped the territories under its control of their semi-autonomous status in 2019, bringing them under direct federal control and splitting them into two union territories.

The move was coupled with a crackdown on dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms with the Indian government arresting thousands under draconian laws that allowed them to be kept in detention for lengthy periods without trial.

Not only did the move exacerbate political tensions, but it also allowed the Indian government to issue residence permits to non-Kashmiris, which had previously been banned.

While Modi's move deepened tensions within the region, both countries maintained a neutral stance after renewing a ceasefire agreement along the border in 2021.

Rebels in the India-controlled portion have been fighting India's rule since 1989, with Kashmir having witnessed many violent attacks over the past decades, including a car bomb in a bus convoy of paramilitary forces in Pulwama that killed 40 security personnel.