ABSTRACT
Soon after independence on 14 August 1947, Pakistan found itself tangled in a dispute with neighboring India over the status of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Being a contiguous, Muslim-majority state ruled by a Hindu Maharaja, Pakistan expected that the wishes of people would be taken into account while deciding whether to opt for India or Pakistan. Unfortunately for Pakistan, the colluding Maharaja chose to accede to the Indian Union on 26 October 1947, prompting Pakistan to cobble up tribal militias to wrest Kashmir by force. By the end of the year, Pakistani-supported militias had managed to capture a swathe of territory in the Himalayan foothills, now known as Azad Kashmir. Today, Pakistani-held Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir, remain bones of contention in one of the longest running disputes in world. India argues that successive elected governments in the State of Jammu and Kashmir reflect the Kashmiris’ desire for staying in the Indian Union.
