Kashmir was free to accede to either nation. Maharaja Hari
Singh, the ruler of the kingdom at the time, initially chose to
remain independent but eventually opted to join India, thereby
handing key powers to the central government in New Delhi. In
exchange, India guaranteed him military protection and vowed to
hold a popular vote on the issue. The South Asian rivals have
fought two full-scale wars over the territorial issue. Islamabad
has always said that majority-Muslim Kashmir should have been a
part of Pakistan. A United Nations resolution adopted after the
first war called for a referendum allowing the people of Kashmir
to choose which country they wanted to join, but that vote for
self-determination has never been held. Pakistan wants that
referendum to take place. India says that Pakistan lends support
to separatist groups fighting against government control and
argues that a 1972 agreement mandates a resolution to the
Kashmir dispute through bilateral talks.