KASHMIR’S PROGRESS IS PAKISTAN’S TENSION

On a crisp morning in Srinagar, the Boulevard Road along Dal Lake is buzzing with life. Houseboats sparkle under the rising sun, shikaras carry tourists across the still waters and shopkeepers arrange handicrafts for curious visitors. It is hard to believe that just a decade ago, images from Kashmir mostly carried stories of shutdowns, militancy and turmoil. This transformation of peace returning, tourists arriving in record numbers, students excelling in education and entrepreneurs finding space for innovation marks a new chapter in Kashmir’s history. Yet, across the border, every sign of progress makes Pakistan uneasy. For decades, Islamabad’s political establishment and military rulers have thrived on a conflict-driven narrative, keeping Kashmir in the headlines as an “unfinished chapter of Partition.” But here lies the paradox: Kashmir’s peace and prosperity are directly proportional to Pakistan’s tension.

The story begins with the year 1947. As the subcontinent reeled from the wounds of Partition, Kashmir was poised to shape its own destiny. Instead of allowing peace to prevail, Pakistan sent tribal raiders into Kashmir in October that year. Entire villages were plundered, innocent civilians killed and development halted even before it began. That invasion, supported by Pakistan’s Army, was not about liberating Kashmir - it was about ensuring that Kashmir would not settle into peace and prosperity within India. In the words of a Kashmiri elder from Baramulla, “Had those raiders not come, Kashmir today would have been like Switzerland.” History since then has shown a repeated pattern. Whenever Kashmir leaned toward progress, Pakistan pushed it back into chaos.

1965: As Srinagar was witnessing growth in agriculture, education and tourism, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, sending infiltrators into the Valley. Violence replaced normalcy. 1989: Just when Kashmir’s youth were finding a foothold in education and tourism, Pakistan-backed militancy erupted. Schools shut down, businesses collapsed and thousands fled. 1999: In the aftermath of democratic revival in the Valley, Pakistan attempted the Kargil intrusion, disrupting peace once again. The message was clear: Pakistan feared a prosperous Kashmir more than it desired a peaceful subcontinent.

In the early 1980s, Kashmir’s literacy rate was on the rise. New schools and colleges were emerging and students were making their way to universities across India. That momentum could have shaped an educated generation leading Kashmir’s future. But the eruption of militancy in 1989 shattered classrooms. Schools were torched, teachers threatened and children forced into a cycle of fear. Thousands of bright dreams were sacrificed at the altar of Pakistan’s proxy war. Yet, Kashmiri youth refused to give up. Today, despite disruptions, Kashmir boasts premier institutions like Kashmir University, National Institute of Technology Srinagar and SKUAST. From Indian Administrative Service officers to tech entrepreneurs, the Valley’s youth are writing new success stories. A young student from Pulwama recently said, “Our battle is not with guns. Our battle is with unemployment, with poverty, with ignorance. Education is our real jihad.” Collapse of Two-Nation Theory: A Muslim-majority region thriving within secular India destroys the foundation of Pakistan’s creation. Loss of Political Weapon: Without the Kashmir conflict, Pakistan’s military establishment loses its biggest tool to dominate national politics. Exposure of Domestic Failures: A flourishing Kashmir puts Pakistan’s poor governance in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan under a sharper spotlight. Simply put, peace in Kashmir means political crisis in Islamabad.

In 2023–24, Kashmir recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals crossing 2.1 crore visitors. Hotels in Gulmarg and Pahalgam reported full occupancy and thousands of locals benefitted from tourism-related jobs. But this is not the first time Kashmir witnessed such potential. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Valley was a global tourist hub, drawing Europeans, Arabs and Americans alike. Handicraft exports flourished. Pakistan’s sponsored militancy in 1989 ended that dream. Today, as houseboats once again host honeymoon couples and students find employment as tourist guides, Pakistan ramps up propaganda trying to paint an image of unrest when reality is otherwise. A houseboat owner in Dal Lake summed it up: “When tourists arrive, Pakistan becomes restless. For them, our peace is their defeat.”

The abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 marked a new era. While Pakistan cried foul on international platforms, on the ground, Kashmir witnessed: Industrial push with investments promised across sectors. Tourism records, with Gulmarg turning into an all-season destination. Grassroots democracy, as Panchayat elections gave voice to rural Kashmir. Digital empowerment, with start-ups and Information Technology parks nurturing local talent. For the first time, Kashmir’s development agenda began outshining Pakistan’s propaganda narrative.

Meet Aqib, a 37-years old from Anantnag who started a small Information Technology consultancy. With just a laptop and internet connection, Aqib now outsources software projects for clients in Delhi and Dubai. “Conflict destroyed my father’s business in the 1990s. I didn’t want to live the same life,” he says. Arif is not alone. Across Kashmir, young entrepreneurs are exploring digital marketing, online education, handicrafts export and agro-based industries. Their biggest challenge is not opportunity it is propaganda that seeks to drag them back into politics of conflict. As Arif puts it, “Pakistan’s bullets can’t compete with our bandwidth.” Pakistan’s proxy war has always aimed to create fear. Militants trained across the border infiltrated villages, targeted civilians and ensured that Kashmir never felt stable enough for investment. However, with improved security, infiltration has drastically reduced. Cross-border terrorism, once a weekly headline, has been largely curbed. As a result, businesses now dare to dream and parents send children confidently to schools. Pakistan’s frustration grows with every security success in Kashmir.

The world too is shifting its perception. Once viewed as a flashpoint of nuclear conflict, Kashmir is now entering global news for its tourism, sports and cultural revival. International delegations visiting Srinagar for the G20 meeting in 2023 sent a strong signal: the world is ready to see Kashmir as a destination of development, not destruction. Pakistan’s diplomatic circles felt cornered. Their narrative of a “bleeding Kashmir” was collapsing under the weight of a “blossoming Kashmir.” Once suppressed by extremists, Kashmir’s music, literature and art are making a comeback. From Ladishah performers like Areej Zafar to young poets and rappers, a new cultural identity is emerging. Festivals in Srinagar now witness thousands of youth celebrating Kashmiri culture. Pakistan’s radical elements once tried to silence this very culture burning cinemas, banning music, attacking artists. But the revival reflects a silent resistance: Kashmir wants life, not death.

The future of Kashmir lies in one choice: to continue walking the path of peace and prosperity. Pakistan may remain a hurdle, but history shows that Kashmir’s resilience is stronger than any proxy war. The youth of Kashmir have already made their choice. They want laptops, not lathis; they want classrooms, not curfews; they want tourism, not terrorism. Pakistan’s tension will only intensify as Kashmir shines. But for the people of the Valley, the only way forward is to embrace opportunity, to prove that the scars of history cannot stop the dreams of tomorrow. Kashmir’s journey since 1947 has been a tug-of-war between peace and conflict. Each time progress seemed possible, Pakistan intervened with war, militancy or propaganda. Yet, the Valley’s story today is different. Against all odds, Kashmir is scripting a new narrative of tourism, education, entrepreneurship and culture. For Pakistan, this is a nightmare it exposes the hollowness of its ideology and failures of its state. But for Kashmir, it is a dawn of hope. As one Kashmiri shopkeeper told a visiting journalist, “We have seen enough blood. Now we want business. Pakistan can keep its politics; we will keep our peace.” The truth is undeniable: Kashmir’s progress will always be Pakistan’s tension but Kashmir’s progress is inevitable.