ISLAMABAD -- India and Pakistan have maintained an ongoing standoff for much of their 52-year history, but it is only during moments of heightened tension that the international community focuses on South Asia.

For the past few weeks, tensions have again been on the rise following a clash between troops along the disputed border in Kashmir known as the Line Of Control. While the two sides continue to trade charges over who fired the first shot in the recent skirmishes, the more pressing question for the international community is how to resolve the ongoing conflict between South Asia's two nuclear powers.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for ending the Indo-Pakistani conflict, which has cost dearly in terms of human life and material expenses. Pakistan insists upon a plebiscite for the people of Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim state that is divided between the two South Asian countries. India, which believes that the decade-old challenge to Indian rule in Kashmir by Muslim separatists is largely fueled by support from Pakistan, argues that its deployment of thousands of troops to combat the insurgency is justified regardless of the ramifications for regional security.