Dangerous Escalation of India-Pakistan Tensions
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 12 May 2025
René Wadlow – TRANSCEND Media Service
On 6 May 2025, the Indian military struck 9 targets with missiles in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered areas of Kashmir. India is bracing itself for strong responses from Pakistan. Pakistan claims to have downed five Indian jets on 7 May. The head of the Pakistan military , General Asim Munir, has been making strong speeches and is expected to react along violent lines.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have grown since the attack and death of 26 Indian tourrists in the resort area of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on 22 April 2025. India has blamed Pakistan for being behind the attack, a charge which Pakistan has denied. There has been shooting with small arms by Indian and Pakistani military on a nearly daily basis since 23 April, but this is the first attack with missiles.
The military escalation has the power to impact all of South Asia as well as relations among the “great powers” – USA, Russia, China. The issue which concers us is now what can be done to lower tensions through efforts of the United Nations, of individual states, and of international non-governmental organizations, all of which are also occupied by other armed conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
The United Nations is the institution which more than any other embodies the principle of the rule of law in world politics, especially the Security Council. The Security Council met in the evening of 6 May at the request of Pakistan in a closed door session. No results were announced.
Concerning the peace-making role of individual states:
President Xi is currently on a four-day visit to Russia. Thus we may see a China-Russia joint proposal on the India-Pakistan conflict since both China and Russia recognize the dangers which may be more than saber-rattling.
There is a deep lack of trust between the leaders of India and Pakistan. The government of Pakistan is currently unstable and in poor economic condition. One never knows how weakness influences external relations. The current escalation of tensions is very dangerous. We must see what positive role non-governmental organizatins may play.
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René Wadlow is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment. He is President of the Association of World Citizens, an international peace organization with consultative status with ECOSOC, the United Nations organ facilitating international cooperation and problem-solving in economic and social issues, and editor of Transnational Perspectives.
Tags: India, Pakistan
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 12 May 2025.
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