India and Pakistan Maintain Frozen Ties After 2025 Conflict

A ceasefire continues to hold between India and Pakistan one year after a four-day military conflict in May 2025. The crisis began on April 22, 2025, when militants from The Resistance Front killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In response, Narendra Modi authorized Operation Sindoor on May 7, a tri-services strike targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh reported that over 100 terrorists were eliminated during the operation.

Pakistan retaliated with drone strikes and shelling, prompting India to launch further strikes in cities such as Lahore, where a surface-to-air missile and radar system were destroyed. During the escalation, the Indian Navy deployed a carrier battle group to the Arabian Sea. Despite warnings from U.S. Vice President JD Vance that Pakistan intended to escalate to all-out war and hints of nuclear use from Pakistani leadership, a ceasefire was reached on May 10, 2025, via the Directors General of Military Operations. Between 35 and 40 Pakistani military personnel were killed during the clashes.

While the ceasefire persists, formal diplomacy, trade, and cricket ties remain suspended and the Indus Waters Treaty is sidelined. The conflict has shifted regional dynamics, with Pakistan leveraging U.S. support to act as an intermediary in the Iran war. Meanwhile, India has begun recalibrating its global relationships to reduce dependence on the United States following trade tensions and mediation attempts by President Donald Trump.