Pak Proxy War Starts Failing, With Kashmiris Rejecting Militancy

Senior officers trace the turnaround to an intelligence-led posture that focuses on prevention rather than retaliation.

- MAJ GEN R.P.S. BHADAURIA (RETD)

Over the past decade, Jammu & Kashmir has undergone a dramatic security turnaround. Stone pelting has vanished, militant recruitment collapsed, and villagers who once sheltered insurgents now talk about markets, broadband and foreign tourists.

The quiet change signals the slow death of Pakistan's long-running proxy war and the triumph of an indigenous appetite for normalcy.

STREET CALM REPLACES STONE PELTING

In 2010, the Valley erupted in 2,654 organised stone-pelting incidents that left more than 6,000 civilians and security personnel injured. By 2023, there was not a single recorded case, nor any strikes called by separatist networks. Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlights the contrast to illustrate how "a new era of peace" has begun. Srinagar's Lal Chowk, once barricaded by coils of razor wire, now echoes with evening shoppers and college students sipping kahwa.

THE RECRUITMENT DROUGHT