Episode Notes:

On Thursday, India and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire along their contentious border in Kashmir. The ceasefire — if it holds — would be a welcome development after the two nuclear-armed neighbors have been engaged in bloody skirmishes and artillery fire for over a year, and both economies have taken massive hits during the pandemic. While the dispute over Kashmir dates back to 1947 — when both countries gained independence from the British Empire — and the two countries have fought several wars over the province, the conflict escalated sharply when a Pakistan-based terrorist group killed dozens of Indian forces in 2019, triggering tit-for-tat airstrikes.

Sameer Lalwani – senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based policy research institute, and the editor of Investigating Crises: South Asia’s Lessons, Evolving Dynamics, and Trajectories.

[ 01:00 ] Causes of ceasefire

[ 03:41 ] Will the ceasefire last

[ 07:08 ] Implications for U.S. interests