By Dr. Digby James Wren

In the wake of the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, a targeted military strike against alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan itself. The operation, described by Indian officials as “focused and non-escalatory,” aimed at camps linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, notably in Bahawalpur and Mudrike. Pakistan condemned the strikes as aggression, reporting civilian casualties and retaliating by downing Indian aircraft. The incident underscores the perennial volatility of Kashmir, a region both nuclear-armed nations have contested since 1947. While the immediate conflict highlights Indo-Pakistani hostilities, it also intersects with India’s broader strategic imperatives—particularly its efforts to deepen ties with Central Asia, a region where geographic and political barriers, including Pakistan’s refusal to grant India land access, persistently challenge New Delhi’s ambitions.

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