9 May 2025
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) condemns the heinous attack in Pahalgam -Kashmir on 22 April, where 26 civilians lost their lives, as well as the retaliatory attacks which have killed civilians on both sides of the line of control and in Pakistan’s sovereign territory. IPB condoles with the victims’ families and friends. Terrorism of any kind from any source is unacceptable to civilized society and the international community condemns such acts.
IPB understands that at times of national grief there is a call for retribution. However, we believe that military standoffs escalate an already tense situation and can spiral into full scale wars with disastrous consequences for countries and peoples. These military conflicts destabilize entire regions, disturb the economy, and immiserate people. Once initiated armed conflicts can go on for a long time. Any confrontation between two nuclear-armed powers like India and Pakistan is a threat to the world – as outlined in publications like the 2019 Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ How an India-Pakistan nuclear war could start – and have global consequences – and both these countries must heed the calls of the international community and cease military confrontations that can lead to a nuclear exchange.
The IPB appeals to both the governments of India and Pakistan to immediately halt all military confrontations, cease the spiral of retributions and return to calm. All indirectly involved states – including the United States, Russia, and China – must likewise call for de-escalation and diplomacy and reject provoking the conflict for their own interests where all are major arms suppliers. There is no substitute for bilateral and regional diplomacy, dialogue, and engagement. World history has repeatedly shown that common security is the most rational and sustainable way to both peace and development.
The IPB hopes that both the Governments of India and Pakistan resort to reason and de-escalate these tensions with immediacy.