INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tensions between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan have escalated rapidly after the massacre of 25 Indian tourists and a Nepalese citizen
in the disputed Himalayan Kashmir region on Tuesday, prompting warnings of a return to conflict.A previously unknown Islamic militant group
calling itself the Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the attack, which India immediately linked to Pakistan, although it did
not publicly produce any evidence
Pakistan has denied any involvement.Among a string of punitive measures announced since Tuesday, India has downgraded diplomatic ties,
suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty and revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals.In retaliation, Pakistan has closed its
airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines, and suspended all trade with India, including to and from any third country.In
which had granted it limited autonomy since 1949.The move fulfilled a longstanding Hindu-nationalist pledge and was widely welcomed across
India, but angered many in the territory itself
Against a backdrop of widespread repression, insurgent violence tapered off and tourists returned to the region.New rules were implemented
that allowed outsiders to buy land in Kashmir for the first time, which many saw as an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) to
dispossess them from their land and change the Muslim demography of the region.Under its special status Kashmir had been able to define who
its permanent residents were, preventing incomers from other parts of India from applying for jobs, scholarships or buying land.With the new
domicile rule, India widened who was eligible to live and work in Kashmir, leading to accusations that it was trying to change the
demographic make-up of the region
most successful water-sharing agreements, allowing for sharing the waters of a river system that is a lifeline for both countries.Pakistani
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times
