Kashmir rekindles conflict as India and Pakistan exchange accusations of terrorism

Nahla Abdel Moneim

Many argue that terrorism is the new version of political wars. During the ministerial meeting held on Wednesday, September 25 on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, India’s representative called on all countries to accelerate the adoption of the draft comprehensive convention on curbing the spread of international terrorism.

The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) is a legal proposal that India submitted to the United Nations in 1996 and is still struggling to activate. The proposal includes definitions of terrorism, its financing and its damages, and it also sanctions countries that sponsor terrorism. However, due to legal objections from some countries, the agreement has not yet been finalized.

Politics and terrorism

The Indian representative said that terrorism is the most important threat to world peace and stability, pointing out that there is direct confrontation with groups linked to regions and continents that may be far from the site of the terrorist outpost itself, while some countries share in the extremism through recruitment, financing and employment.

He added that the global fight against terrorism must not only be linked to the elimination of terrorists and the disruption of terrorist organizations and networks, but strong measures must also be taken to hold accountable states that encourage, support, finance and provide sanctuary to terrorists.

Pakistan and the new strategy

On the other hand, Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar accused Pakistan of being one of the most prominent countries that sponsor terrorism, saying that the issue for his country does not stop at talking or meeting with its leaders, but it is a country that manages international terrorism.

As for the Kashmir crisis as an instigator of hostility between the two countries, the Indian minister stressed that Kashmir is not the main issue with its regional neighbor, but the support and facilities provided by the Pakistani government to terrorists, and their employment in the management of external and internal files is also the most important problem.

The minister pointed to the terrorist attacks that occurred in India in recent years, stressing that they were planned and implemented across the border, such as the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, which is a few thousand miles from Kashmir.

Kashmir has always been a geographical dilemma between the two countries that has caused a lot of political problems and terrorist polarizations. There are many terrorist groups in the region, such as al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Army of Muhammad led by Massoud Azhar, which India has sought to include on the international terrorism list, but China has used its veto power to prevent its inclusion on the list.

In early August 2019, India abolished the autonomy of Kashmir in preparation for its annexation, fueling conflicts in the region and the exchange of accusations between the two countries more broadly. While India accuses Pakistan of terrorism, the latter says its neighbor exports racism and ethnic tensions and wants to exterminate Muslims in the region. A nuclear war is likely to begin in the province, as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan predicted in his September 26 speech.

Amid the flood of accusations between the two countries, the question remains about the seriousness of the situation in the region, as there are terrorist groups between the two countries, specifically in Kashmir, but are they spread because of political conflicts? Or are they brought in and employed in battles?

Ahmed Sayed Ahmed, a professor of international relations, said in a press statement that Kashmir represents a wound between the two countries, and there are many regional powers that feed this crisis more, pointing out that the two countries are likely to remain in this situation as a result of political, economic and international interests.

Ahmed said that the importance of the conflict is “the strategic value of the region for both countries,” adding that it is a source of water for Pakistan and also represents a significant religious and ethnic dimension as well, while for India it is important as a natural separator with China as well as to avoid the country from experiencing a series of separations due to India’s many ethnicities.