SEVENTY-five years after the partition of British India, the relationship between India and Pakistan remains one of the most deeply entrenched rivalries in the modern world.
Marked by wars, border skirmishes and diplomatic deadlocks, this conflict has shaped national identities and political agendas on both sides.
Yet, behind the slogans and strategic posturing lies a grim reality: war has failed, repeatedly to bring lasting peace or resolve core disputes.
As global dynamics shift and domestic challenges grow, it is no longer a question of who is right or wrong, but whether the two nuclear-armed neighbours can summon the political will to prioritize the future over the past.
The stakes are too high and the costs of continued hostility too great for the cycle to continue.
India and Pakistan have fought four wars in 1947–48, 1965, 1971 and 1999, yet the Kashmir issue remains unresolved and mistrust between the two countries has only deepened.
Each conflict has inflicted immense human and economic loss, especially on border communities and those caught in the crossfire.
According to conservative estimates, over 200,000 people have died in direct and indirect violence linked to this conflict since 1947.
Despite battlefield outcomes and temporary ceasefires, none of these wars has produced a durable resolution.
What they have generated instead is hardened political rhetoric, ballooning defence budgets and generations raised in the shadow of war.
History offers abundant proof that enduring peace is achieved not through bombs and bullets but through negotiation and vision.
Europe, once reduced to rubble by two world wars, emerged as a unified continent through the formation of the European Union, a project founded on shared economic and political interests.
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland, once thought intractable, by bringing together bitter rivals through political courage.
South Africa’s dismantling of apartheid, led by Nelson Mandela and F.W.de Klerk, showed the world that justice and peace are possible when dialogue replaces vengeance.
As Mandela said, “If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.
Then he becomes your partner.”
India and Pakistan are not exceptions to this truth.
They share far more than just a contested border, languages, cuisines, music, cultural heritage and even dreams.
Both nations face similar challenges: poverty, unemployment, climate crises and unequal access to education and healthcare.
In 2023 alone, India and Pakistan together spent over $155 billion USD on defence.
Redirecting even a fraction of this toward public welfare could transform millions of lives.
The real war is against hunger, disease, illiteracy and economic disparity, not each other.
Equally important is how both countries respond to terrorism and security incidents.
Whenever a tragic attack occurs, whether in India or Pakistan, there must be a commitment to impartial, thorough investigations before casting blame.
Accusations without evidence only deepen hostilities and hinder justice.
If proof does exist, it should be presented transparently to the international community with full honesty and due process.
Moreover, the glorification of terrorists in public discourse must end.
It is deeply troubling when media narratives frame perpetrators of violence as heroes, as seen recently when segments of Indian media sensationalized and glorified the terrorist group involved in the tragic train attack in Balochistan, which killed innocent civilians.
Such portrayals insult the victims and embolden extremism on all sides.
The media, meanwhile, must reassess its role.
Too often, sensationalist reporting, confrontational debate panels and jingoistic headlines exacerbate public anger rather than inform or uplift.
Ratings-driven narratives may serve commercial interests, but they also fuel fear, uncertainty and hatred, ultimately undermining national stability.
With more than 1.5 billion lives in India and Pakistan hanging in the balance, the media must choose to act as a force of de-escalation rather than division.
Journalism must highlight stories of peace building, cross-border solidarity and shared humanity.
As the old adage goes: “When the truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie.”
India and Pakistan are not doomed to be permanent adversaries.
History has shown that even the deepest wounds can heal when leaders rise above pride and choose the path of reconciliation.
Today, both nations face a choice: remain trapped in the bitterness of the past or rise to the promise of a shared and secure future.
Peace demands courage, but it also offers prosperity, stability and dignity, outcomes that war has never delivered.
It is time for the governments to act responsibly, for citizens to demand a better tomorrow and for the media to become a bridge rather than a battlefield.
The world has seen enough of war.
It is now time to lead with peace.
We just need to remember one thing: war will burn everything, but peace can save it all.
—The writer is Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public, Usman Law Professional Corporation, based in Canada. ([email protected])
