Kashmir Solidarity Day

Like every year, Pakistan observes Kashmir Solidarity Day today, February 5, to express support for the Kashmiri Muslims struggling to liberate their region from the Indian control.
According to Kashmir Media Service, solidarity walks are being organized across Pakistan ‘to convey the message to the oppressed people of Kashmir that they are not alone in their struggle for the right to self-determination.’
Anti-India demonstrations and rallies are also being held and human chains formed at Kohala Bridge and other points connecting Pakistan with Kashmir in a show of mutual cohesion.

Cost of Dispute

The Muslim-majority Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has, since the partition of India, remained a flashpoint. India and Pakistan have fought four of their five major wars i.e the 1948 War, 1965 War, Kargil War in 1999 and the May 2025 War, specifically over the issue of Kashmir.
The dispute not only involves the basic right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people but has always remained a big irritant in the establishment of normal, peaceful relationship between Pakistan and India.
It has been hampering trade relations and people-to-people contacts between the two countries, which is not only affecting these two countries but is also blocking connectivity of South Asia with Central and West Asia.
The three-day war in May last year had almost taken the two countries to a nuclear flashpoint, which, according to US President Donald Trump, was averted due to his mediatory efforts. The threat of a nuclear catastrophe always remains hovering over the Subcontinent unless this dispute is resolved peacefully and amicably.

Prospects for Solution

Though both India and Pakistan have mostly shown an irreconcilable attitude to each other but in past there have been instances when they came very closer to amicably resolving the issue –  though the efforts were frustrated by hawkish elements on both sides.
Miracles can happen if there is political will to emancipate the one-and-a-,half  billions of South Asian people. There have been even harder disputes, like the Northern Ireland issue, resolved to the betterment of people.