Indo-Pak relations hit new low in 2019

Since Partition, India and Pakistan have shared a contentious history. Relations between the neighbours is rife with conflicts, leading to a controversial political standoff. The year 2019 is no different from the previous 71 years, as again, the Kashmir quagmire remains the central issue responsible for escalating tensions.

Two months into 2019, on Feb. 14, 40 security personnel were killed in a cross-border terror attack on a convoy of Indian security forces in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, which was perpetrated by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

In retaliation, India carried out an anti-terror airstrike 12 days later, obliterating a training camp believed to be used by the JeM in Balakot, Pakistan. The strikes caused Pakistan to target India’s military installations along the border using their air force.

In an aerial dogfight between the neighbours, an Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by the Pakistan Army on Feb. 27 and was tortured for over 60 hours before being released as a ‘peace gesture’.

People on both sides had to bear the brunt of tensions as the Pakistan government suspended the Samjhauta Express on Feb. 28 -- a train that runs twice a week between the countries. The operations did eventually resume.

However, the strife between the two countries gained momentum a few months later on Aug. 5 when India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and revoked the special status for J&K.

Pakistan called the move "unacceptable" and an "act of treason" against the United Nations and has been trying to internationalise the issue ever since. Its efforts to gain support from other nations didn’t yield the desired results. Prime Minister Imran Khan threatened India with a nuclear attack several times.

The incidents affected trade relations between the countries. On Feb. 15, after the terror attacks, India withdrew the ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status to Pakistan, and the next day hiked the customs duty on exports to 200%.

Pakistan suspended bilateral trade with India, despite the fact that Pakistan's imports were already experiencing negative growth with almost every country. The value of bilateral trade fell to $105 million in June, from $164 million in February.

Pakistan also expelled the Indian High Commissioner after downgrading diplomatic ties over the Kashmir issue.

Diplomatic talks took a backseat when, in the Kulbhushan Jhadav case, India challenged the verdict of his death penalty in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Vienna Convention. However, on July 17, 2019, the ICJ rejected India's appeal for Jadhav's immediate release and ordered Pakistan to suspend his execution. It also ordered that consular access be given to Jadhav, which Pakistan granted on Sept. 2. A second opportunity for consular access was denied.

The figures of ceasefire violations crossed the 2,500-mark in 11 months this year as compared to 1,629 violations in the whole of 2018. The nights of Nov. 8 and 9 witnessed a series of heavy gunfire exchanges.

Pakistan’s ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts shot up in response to the Article 370 abrogation and its airspace was closed for 140 days. Pakistan denied permission for PM Narendra Modi’s plane to travel through the country’s airspace, which led India to lodge a complaint with the ICAO.

The inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor on Nov. 9 seemed like an unusual move in this atmosphere -- it's the first visa-free border crossing between the two countries. Pakistani authorities announced that only a valid ID would be needed to cross the border. However, an Indian official said that he suspected that Pakistan aimed to build "leverage and promote a separatist movement in (Indian) Punjab".

The heightening tensions between India and Pakistan have shaken the peace in the South-Asian region. What happens next in these tense times is anyone's guess.