After exchange of fire at the Line of Control (LoC) and reporting of casualties from both sides, Pakistan and India have become emboiled in a war of words over the nature of the conflict. The Indian authorities claim that their elite troops crossed into Pakistan-ruled Kashmir on Thursday, and in a surgical strike, killed suspected militants preparing to infiltrate and carry out attacks on major cities. While Pakistan has termed the claim baseless and an effort by the Modi government to pacify its opposition parties after the Uri incident as well as to divert the attention of the world from the atrocities committed by the Indian army in the Indian-held Kashmir. In the September 29 border skirmishes, two Pakistani soldiers, Imtiaz and Juma Khan, were martyred in the exchange of fire, while it is claimed by the military authorities that eight Indian soldiers have been killed. Pakistan has also captured an Indian soldier on its side of the border. According to the Indian claims, special forces crossed the heavily militarised border by foot just after midnight and hit about half a dozen “launching pads,” from where suspected militants were preparing to sneak across the border Thursday’s strikes are one of those occurrences on the border that have truly escalated tension between the two neighbouring countries. After the military engagement, a war of words has started as politicians and military spokesmen from both sides are busy giving their own versions of the incident. On the whole, it is not a positive development. India needs to exercise restraint as both countries have nuclear weapons, and any aggression can turn into a bigger war that is not in the interests of both states. Such aggression has other repercussions too, as Kashmiris bear the brunt of such military adventurism. India has already arranged evacuation of some villages within 10-kilometre range of the border, while a crackdown is likely to start on Kashmiris seeking independence from India. Hostility shown by the Indian government is not acceptable, and it should review its policies of using guns instead of diplomatic channels. The stock markets have already crashed in both countries leaving bad impact on the economy. The crisis has inflamed public sentiment on both sides of the border, with some Pakistani cinemas announcing cancellation of all Indian films, while the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association announced a ban on Pakistani actors working in Bollywood productions. The US and China have also shown concern over the recent intensification of tension between Pakistan and India. The White House has urged Pakistan and India to avoid escalation. Pakistan and India have failed to be on good terms since their independence from the British rule. Both countries have already fought three wars, two over Kashmir. They are still unable to find ways and means to end unnecessary hostility and get rid of so-called superiority complex. The dividends that peace offers are unlimited and achievable through the establishment of long lasting peace in the region. The leadership of both countries needs to resolve all bilateral issues in a civilised manner. They must listen to each other to work out solutions and address respective grievances. Trade and economic prospects between both states are enormous and cannot be ignored. The governments of Pakistan and India spend have huge defence budgets, and if both states were to decrease their defence budget sand divert a small chunk of that to the welfare of common man, it could go a long way in change the conditions of the common man in both countries. The masses in both countries are the real sufferer of this hostility and cannot afford any more warfare.*