The Global Peace Index 2025 identifies the Kashmir conflict as a major nuclear flashpoint, highlighting Indian brutalities since 1989 that killed 40,000 people. It notes that India has turned IIOJK into the world’s most militarized zone, while Pakistan’s AJK hosts only around 60,000 troops. Punchlines
India’s unprovoked missile strike on Pakistan in May 2025 over Pahalgam exposed its reckless militarism, risking a nuclear conflict that could escalate far beyond Kashmir.
The report’s use of the term “gunmen” for the 22 April Pahalgam attack reflects global refusal to label Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists, challenging India’s narrative.
According to report, India deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, turning the Himalayas into one of the world’s most militarized zones. More than 40,000 people have died since 1989.
In August 2019, India illegally revoked Kashmir’s special status under Articles 370 and 35A, splitting the region into two Union territories.
India’s scrapping of Article 370 led to mass arrests, blackouts, and troop surge, deepening Kashmir’s alienation and human rights violations.
The report highlights that India has deployed around 500,000 troops in IIOJK, making it a heavily militarized zone, while Pakistan maintains only 60,000 along the LoC, showing a stark contrast in approaches.
Local police forces in IIOJK have swelled to an alarming 130,000, while peaceful AJK under Pakistan shows no signs of such militarization, highlighting the stark disparity.
India has used its Kashmir policy to fuel nationalist sentiment, portraying the August 2019 revocation of autonomy as fulfilling a long-standing promise of national integration.
The Kashmir conflict risks escalating into full-scale war, with potential unrest in both India and Pakistan, including a serious threat of anti-Muslim violence within India.
With half a million troops, local police, Rashtriya Rifles, and other forces, India has turned Kashmir into a military cage exposing its fascist control and the people’s ongoing struggle. The report warns that conflict in the region is highly likely within the next year.
