Kashmir on the Brink: A Nation’s Grief, A Region’s Reckoning

Prof. Simranjit Singh is a Jadetimes Editor In Cheif

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Image Sorce: Dar Yasin/AP

The lush meadows of Baisaran, nestled in the peaceful valley of Pahalgam, have tragically become the site of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks India has witnessed in recent years. On April 22, 2025, twenty-six innocent civilians—many of them domestic tourists seeking peace in the Himalayas—were mercilessly gunned down by a group of five armed assailants. The brutality of the attack, which included point-blank executions and the targeting of non-Muslim civilians, has left the country shaken and the region teetering on the edge of dangerous escalation.

While no group initially claimed responsibility, a now-retracted message from The Resistance Front (TRF)—an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—alongside recovered weaponry bearing Pakistani markings, has intensified India’s allegations of cross-border terrorism. This accusation has been met with routine denials from Islamabad, but the gravity of the evidence and pattern of past incidents make the current situation difficult to view as a coincidence.

India’s response, swift and firm, has included the expulsion of Pakistani diplomats, the freezing of bilateral treaties, and a suspension of airspace and water-sharing agreements. Pakistan, for its part, has issued reciprocal measures, creating a climate reminiscent of the pre-Kargil or post-Pulwama stand-offs. Both countries have placed their militaries on high alert, and exchanges of fire along the Line of Control have become alarmingly frequent in the past week.

This editorial is not a call to deny justice. The carnage in Pahalgam demands accountability. The lives lost deserve national mourning and international condemnation. But as an independent publication committed to peace, justice, and reason, we must raise our voice against further escalation and urge restraint on all sides.

The people of Kashmir have long lived under the shadow of conflict. While this act of terror is condemnable in the strongest terms, we must not lose sight of the deeper context. The erosion of democratic engagement in the region, the continued allegations of excesses by security forces, and the lack of meaningful dialogue with local stakeholders have created a vacuum where radical ideologies can find a foothold. It is also no secret that the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, though celebrated by some as a step toward integration, alienated many Kashmiris and intensified feelings of disenfranchisement.

Kashmir is not merely a geographical region—it is home to over 12 million people who yearn for normalcy, development, and dignity. Each cycle of violence and retaliation only deepens the scars. India must therefore ensure that its counterterrorism operations in the Valley do not morph into collective punishment. Arrests, house demolitions, and surveillance must be bound by the rule of law. Security, after all, must never come at the cost of justice.

At the same time, Pakistan must end its dangerous policy of offering moral and logistical support to terror outfits masquerading as freedom fighters. If Islamabad truly seeks peace in South Asia, it must demonstrate it through tangible action—dismantling terror networks, prosecuting perpetrators, and working transparently with international agencies.

The international community cannot look away. While statements of concern have been issued by the United Nations, the United States, and several Gulf states, they must now go beyond rhetoric. Global diplomacy has a moral imperative to play a stabilising role, possibly through multilateral or third-party mediation. The stakes are too high. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed nations. A misstep, a misunderstanding, or a misfire could trigger a catastrophe with consequences that reach far beyond the subcontinent.

Jade Times calls upon the leadership of both countries to reengage in dialogue, not as a sign of weakness, but as a mark of statesmanship. Confidence-building measures such as reopening trade routes, restoring diplomatic channels, and creating joint anti-terrorism mechanisms must be prioritised. History has shown us that walls do not bring peace—bridges do.

We also urge media outlets across the region to avoid the lure of jingoism. Inflammatory coverage, selective outrage, and unverified claims only add fuel to the fire. This is a moment that calls for responsible journalism, empathy, and commitment to truth.

To the people of Kashmir, especially those grieving their lost loved ones, we see your pain. Your trauma must not be co-opted for political mileage or reduced to soundbites. It must catalyse national introspection and a renewed commitment to peace.

This is not just about Kashmir. This is about the soul of the Indian republic, the future of Indo-Pak relations, and the stability of South Asia. We owe it to ourselves—and to generations yet unborn—to choose diplomacy over destruction, unity over hatred, and healing over vengeance.

Let the tragedy of Pahalgam not become another date added to the long ledger of forgotten massacres. Let it be the moment we finally said: never again.