1947-49 War

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In 1948, Pakistan sent Waziri and Mansud tribals from the North-West Frontier to free Kashmir from the Hindu Maharajah. The rulers of these princely states were given the option of joining either of the dominions - India or Pakistan. The ruler of J&K, Maharaja Hari Singh did not exercise the option to join either of the two dominions, and instead, wanted a standstill Agreement, pending the final decision regarding his state's accession.

This attack forced the Maharaja to flee to India. The Maharaja asked India to help his people who were being killed and looted by the Pakistani raiders. He also agreed to make Jammu & Kashmir part of India. The Indian ruler at that time was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He accepted Jammu & Kashmir's accession to India and agreed to rescue his people from the Pakistani attackers.

India not only countered the attack militarily, Indian troops were flown into the Kashmir Valley and they managed to drive away most of the Pakistani raiders from the state. India, also lodged a complaint with the United Nation's Secretary General on December 30, 1947, against the Pakistani invasion on Kashmir. This led to the appointment of a United Nation's Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP) which proposed ceasefire, demilitarisation and plebiscite by its resolutions of August 13, 1948, and January 5, 1949. Both sides agreed to the ceasefire line in 1949. This 700-km-long line running from Chammb in the south to Ladakh at NJ 9842 point after which there is glacier, provided the future battleground between the two countries in the glaciers. Through the war, Pakistan acquired approximately 84,000 sq. km of Jammu and Kashmir (5,000 square miles), and nearly one million people under its control.