Parts of the region are disputed between India, Pakistan and China. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India, with regular elections and a functioning assembly, although from time to time the central government keeps intruding in state's affairs and has recently redefined certain parts as a union territory.
Citizens of J&K are citizens of India, but have certain special rights.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_(union_terri...
Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh (incl. Gilgit Baltistan) - is what was known as a J&K.
Post independence in 1947, Nehru was propped up by the British as the first Prime minister of India, he was a pacifist. He was incidentally also a Kashmiri himself.
Pakistan invaded and occupied large parts of the Kingdom. Pakistan then had inherited a disproportionately large army, after their separated from India. And yes they became an Islamic state, and during whose creation between 1920s to 1947 waves of genocide against non-muslims changed the demography from 70% muslim to 97% muslim in Pakistan (claimed number).
China on the other hand invaded and occupied parts of Ladakh known as Aksai Chin after they had invaded Tibet in 1962. This is the place where there is a current standoff, the Chinese threatening to invade more territory.
Technically and historically Kashmir has always been part of India. Radicalisation of the muslim majority population in Kashmir in the 1990, resulted in the ethnic cleansing of half a million Hindus in a matter of 2 weeks. The muslim demography in the valley changed from 76% to 99.9% muslim in those 2 weeks.
This was mostly possible because Pakistan was until then an indespensible allay of the west in their fight against Soviets in Afghanistan.
