Indian Government Changes Land Laws in Jammu and Kashmir
The government changed land laws in Jammu and Kashmir to allow people outside the region to buy land there. Critics decried the move as another affront to the region after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s partial autonomy in 2019 (Hindu)
India Extends Controversial Internet Ban in Kashmir
The government in India-administered Kashmir extended a ban on high-speed internet access that has been in effect since India revoked the region’s partial autonomy in August 2019. Digital rights groups have criticized the ban as some of the world’s worst censorship (Al Jazeera)
India Frees Top Politician in Kashmir
The former chief minister of India-administered Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, was freed after being detained for fourteen months following India’s revocation of the region’s partial autonomy in August 2019. She vowed to fight for the restoration of Kashmir’s status (PTI)
India Claims Three Soldiers Killed in Kashmir by Cross-Bordering Shelling
India’s army accused Pakistan of firing across the countries’ disputed border in Kashmir, killing three Indian soldiers (Times of India)
Pakistan has recently accused India of violating a cease-fire (Al Jazeera)
India, Pakistan Trade Accusations of Cease-Fire Violations
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a senior Indian diplomat over Indian forces’ alleged violation of a cease-fire along the countries’ contested border in Kashmir (Express Tribune)
India also accused Pakistan of a violation (Economic Times)
Parts of Kashmir to Regain Internet Access
Indian authorities will restore high-speed 4G internet to two districts in the disputed region of Kashmir on a trial basis, according to a government statement. India’s decision to cut off internet access in India-administered Kashmir more than a year ago was criticized by human rights groups, and India’s Supreme Court ruled an indefinite suspension would be illegal (Al Jazeera)
Militants Attack Police in Kashmir
Two police officers were killed and another wounded by militants in the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, which is under tightened security as India prepares to celebrate its independence tomorrow. Regional police vowed to “neutralize” the attackers (PTI)
Dozens Injured in Pakistan Grenade Attack
Nearly forty people were injured when unidentified assailants lobbed a grenade at a rally in Karachi as people throughout Pakistan protested on the anniversary of India’s 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy (Dawn)
Indian authorities restricted movement and deployed troops in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir to contain protests there (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Fresh Restrictions Imposed on Kashmir
Indian authorities imposed new restrictions on the Kashmir Valley over concerns about the coronavirus and the possibility of protests ahead of the one-year anniversary tomorrow of India revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy (Deutsche Welle)
India and Pakistan Accuse Each Other of Violating Cease-Fire in Kashmir
India and Pakistan accused each other of violating a cease-fire agreement in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan’s foreign office summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest alleged cease-fire violations that injured five civilians (Dawn)
Meanwhile, an Indian army spokesperson accused Pakistan of initiating an “unprovoked cease-fire violation” (Hindustan Times)
Pakistan Accuses India of Karachi Attack
Prime Minister Imran Khan said there was “no doubt” that India was behind an attack earlier this week on the Pakistan Stock Exchange that killed four people along with the four assailants (Dawn)
India denied involvement, and an insurgent group from southwestern Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack (New York Times)
Pakistan Calls for International Opposition to Indian Moves in Kashmir
Prime Minister Imran Khan said he urged the United Nations and world leaders to oppose India’s decision to grant domicile certificates to twenty-five thousand Indian nationals in Kashmir. Pakistan views the move as illegal (News International)
India Expels Alleged Pakistani Spies
Two Pakistani embassy officials were expelled from India for allegations of spying. Pakistan has called India’s charges “baseless” and said they violate international rules on diplomacy (Agence France-Presse)
Indian Forces Kill Kashmiri Separatist Leader
Indian security forces killed top Kashmiri separatist leader Riyaz Naikoo and three other militants yesterday in a targeted operation (Hindustan Times)
The deaths prompted thousands of Kashmiris to participate in protests that turned violent in clashes with Indian authorities (New York Times)
New Report Details India, Pakistan Nuclear Programs
Pakistan’s nuclear program has at least 46 more suppliers than previously listed by export controllers in Japan and the United States, while 222 companies do business with Indian nuclear facilities that are not monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to a new open-source report by the Center For Advanced Defense Studies (Reuters)
Pakistan Claims Indian Cease-Fire Violation in Kashmir
Pakistani officials accused India of undermining a cease-fire agreement in Kashmir by shelling villages along the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, killing one soldier and two civilians. An Indian military spokesperson claimed that Pakistan had already violated the cease-fire yesterday with attacks on four locations, while Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned an Indian diplomat to lodge a formal protest against the attack (Associated Press)
Pakistan Protests Indian Shelling
Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned an Indian official in Islamabad to denounce Indian cross-border shelling in Kashmir that it said killed a child and wounded four others. India said that Pakistani shelling killed three civilians (Reuters)
Official Data Highlights Multiple India-Pakistan Clashes in Kashmir
In March, both India and Pakistan staged more attacks in the disputed Kashmir region than at any other point in at least two years, according to official data from both countries (Reuters)
Clashes in Kashmir Kill Twelve
Two gun battles in Indian-administered Kashmir killed nine suspected militants and three Indian soldiers, an Indian army official said (Associated Press)
New Indian Law Facilitates Residency in Kashmir
A new law grants people who have lived in Indian-administered Kashmir for fifteen years or studied there for seven years rights to permanent residency in the region. Critics said the law strips protections from Kashmir’s Muslim-majority population (Al Jazeera)
India Releases Kashmir Leader From Detention
Top Jammu officials met with the president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Party, Farooq Abdullah, after he was released from a seven-month detention (Al Jazeera)
Internet Briefly Restored in Indian Kashmir
Authorities in India-administered Kashmir restored unrestricted 2G internet access for the first time since the region’s special administrative was revoked in August. The access is set two last two weeks (Hindustan Times)
Pakistan and India Exchange Fire in Kashmir
Pakistani and Indian forces briefly shelled each other’s positions along the Line of Control near the Poonch district in the disputed Kashmir region (Hindustan Times)
Pakistani Administrator Calls for Military Action Against India
Raja Farooq Haider, the prime minister of the Pakistan-administered portion of Kashmir, urged Islamabad yesterday in an interview to take all military and diplomatic measures to settle the dispute over the territory (Al Jazeera)
UN Chief Addresses Kashmir, Refugees in Pakistan Visit
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised Pakistan’s commitment to hosting refugees during a three-day visit to the country (United Nations)
He also offered UN mediation to India and Pakistan over the conflict in Kashmir, which India refused (Al Jazeera)