By Qaiser Nawab
Chairman, Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD)
The early hours of May 6–7, 2025, will remain etched in the minds of many in South Asia as a night of unnecessary suffering and avoidable escalation. As civilians in Muridke, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Bahawalpur slept, Indian fighter jets crossed the Line of Control, targeting what New Delhi claimed were “terrorist infrastructures.” Instead, what the world witnessed was the tragic bombing of civilian areas—including a mosque—resulting in the loss of innocent lives, including women and children.
In what is trumpeted as an act of strength, India’s savage attack on civilian infrastructure and religious sites violates the Geneva Conventions and risks widening the scope of this conflict into areas no side wants. Not only do these actions violate Pakistan’s sovereignty, but they also run counter to the spirit of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.
The Indian government’s justification for this strike—retaliation for the April 22 attack in Pahalgam—fails to meet the test of proportionality or due diligence in international law. The attack in Pahalgam, which tragically claimed 26 lives, has yet to be investigated with transparency or independent scrutiny. Instead of pursuing lawful means through bilateral or international institutions, India chose the path of unilateral military action.
In response, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) intercepted and downed at least five Indian fighter jets; A key Indian army command post was also targeted in counteraction.
This was not an act of retaliation but one of self-defense, carried out with a clear message: Pakistan desires peace, but will not compromise its sovereignty.
This underscores how far we remains from these ideals of connectivity, sustainable development, and regional cooperation. Every airstrike, every civilian casualty, and every escalation draws us further away from the shared prosperity South Asia so desperately needs.
This is not merely a matter of territorial conflict. The ripple effects of military escalation are felt in water security, trade, environmental degradation, and youth mobility across the region. The decision by India to halt the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River—a unilateral move—further exacerbates environmental and human insecurity in downstream Pakistan. According to hydrologists, such disruptions can reduce the availability of irrigation water to over 5 million acres of farmland, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Punjab and Sindh.
Such water manipulation also violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the Indus Waters Treaty—one of the few examples of successful bilateral water management. Weaponizing water is not only unethical; it’s dangerous.
It is time for multilateral forums to denounce this violence and facilitate an immediate cessation of hostilities.
We need not choose sides; we need to choose peace. Silence from the international community will only embolden further violations.
There is still time to pull back from the brink. Diplomatic engagement—no matter how difficult—remains the only sustainable solution. Track II diplomacy, backchannel talks, and neutral mediation by trusted third parties must be revived and supported.
Furthermore, civil society organizations, youth forums, and regional think tanks should be empowered to facilitate dialogue.
If India truly seeks to lead in the region, then it must also lead in maturity, in responsibility, and in diplomacy.
South Asia is home to one-fifth of humanity. We cannot afford to be prisoners of our past. It is time to embrace a future rooted in mutual respect, rule of law, and shared development.
About Author:
Qaiser Nawab is a global peace advocate and Chairman of the Belt and Road Initiative for Sustainable Development (BRISD). He has represented Pakistan at various UN and international platforms on youth, climate diplomacy, and multilateralism.
