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"The presupposition that Muslim-majority regions of India had to be incorporated into the newly established Muslim state in 1947, constituted key point Pakistan's international narrative, and incessantly cast a shadow on its official discourse. The two-nation theory, used by the proponents of Pakistan's inception as a nation building political concept, artificially projected the Indian Muslims as a monolithic group, irrespective of their origin, social belonging, historical heritage, etc. This ideologically rooted discourse heralded future tensions within Pakistan and provided framework for Pakistan's persistent pretension of acting as defender of Kashmiri Muslims rights. Pakistan's stance on Kashmir, is unalterably based on key twelve components, which exemplify the India-centric components of its geostrategic objectives.
In the aftermath of Bangladesh inception, Pakistani policymakers reinforced their determination to maintain and justify the ideological relevance of the two-nation theory and to combine it with security-dilemma vis-à-vis India. The chapter investigates the campaigns of authoritarianism and Islamization, fundamentally transforming Pakistan, which were introduced primarily by General Zia ul-Haq's military regime, their impact on Pakistan's socio-political transformations and its stance on Kashmir."

More than seven decades of Kashmir dispute brought numerous plans, formulas, and resolution initiatives proposed and negotiated both multilaterally and bilaterally. The urge to resolve the conflict constructively is repeatedly underscored by decision-makers in India and Pakistan and, occasionally, by global leaders and organizations, but they remained unfulfilled declarations. Since the first Kashmir war in the aftermath of the partition of the subcontinent, the agenda for resolution (in accordance with their respective goals and objectives) was accompanied by mutual Indo-Pakistani accusations of bad intentions, dishonesty and unwillingness to genuinely engage in peace building initiatives. Conspicuously, both Indian and Pakistani establishments intentional exacerbate bilateral tensions with disregard for common interests of Indians, Pakistanis and the residents of Kashmir. This chapter presents certain noteworthy resolution attempts and plans put forward by international actors as well as Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, civil society, political and human rights activists, etc.

The article takes a critical look at the multiple challenges related to the Indo-Pakistani conflict over Kashmir, with particular focus on the correlation between the countries' policies and selected human rights (HR) related challenges in Kashmir. In particular, it investigates the post-2019 dynamics, with the major watershed being the abrogation of the semi-autonomy of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by India. The major objective of this research is to unpack the evolving complexities of the Kashmir situation by analysing holistically how certain key local/domestic, bilateral, and regional aspects influence the conflict's trajectories and by looking at them from political and HR-related perspectives. The study concludes that domestic, bilateral, and international circumstances make both adversaries prone to bolster their belligerent narratives rather than deal with the issue constructively, by de-escalating mutual tensions and addressing the problems of the indigenous residents of Kashmir. This unresolved dispute stamps its negative imprint not only on Indo-Pakistani relations and the entire South Asian security system but also adversely affects the situation in the pieces of Kashmir administered by India and Pakistan, respectively. (Asian Aff/GIGA)

What role does India play in Pakistan's international strategy? The article tackles this question and explores the crucial elements of Islamabad's policy towards India, focusing on selected internal and external security issues. Pakistani political/military leaders look upon India as its major security challenge. The alleged threat from the powerful neighbour has served as the convenient explanation for justifying enormous military expenditures and building powerful army in Pakistan, which substantially weakened democratic institutions and civilian governments and consolidated military's grip of the state power. This sense of fear was fuelled by the catastrophist mindset, claiming that India has always regarded partition of the subcontinent as a "historical aberration" and its main goal was to undo the partition or at least to subjugate Pakistan into a client‑state. The protracted, war‑prone relations between the two nuclear states can be defined as "difficult neighbourhood." The chapter approaches the problem of Pakistan's policy towards India in several key parts. The introduction looks at the historical developments and current internal situation in Pakistan. The first part offers an in‑depth analysis of Pakistan's attitude towards the Kashmir issue, the second part analyses the strategies aimed at counterbalance India's hegemony in the region, encapsulating the phenomenon of Pakistan‑China and Pakistan‑U.S. relations. The last part briefly observes the problem of water scarcity in India‑Pakistan relations, which has a direct impact on South Asian security.

Naya Pakistan? The Selected Issues of Pakistan's Foreign Policy in View of the Transformations in the Regional Security The Islamic Republic of Pakistan faces many internal and external challenges and remains a major point of reference in contemporary international security analysis. This article examines selected issues relating to Pakistan's foreign policy contextualized within the transformations in the security dynamics of South Asia. The specificity of the security environment in South Asia, the least politically and economically integrated region of the world, engaged in the protracted Kashmir conflict, serves as the starting point for the multi-dimensional study of the key objectives of Pakistan's foreign strategy towards its neighbouring states, such as India, China and Afghanistan. Methodological approach for this research is based on offensive realism, which seems to present the appropriate explanatory tool for studying the South Asian securityrelated specificity. The naya (new) Pakistan narrative, promoted by the Prime Minister Imran Khan seems hardly a game-changing chapter in the history of the state. Analysis of Pakistan's current policies, persistent domination of the army over the state's bureaucracy, increasing dependency on external loans and bailouts provokes rather opposite conclusions. Pakistan's strategic goals vis-à-vis Afghanistan and India exploit its own resources and strongly affect the regional security system whilst the country has no adequate means to achieve them. Consequently, there is a vital need of a paradigm shift in Pakistan's regional security calculus from ideologically motivated, unfeasible claims to a more cooperative posture, supplemented by campaigns for de-radicalization. This research study was conducted during seven trips to Pakistan during the last decade; the results and conclusions of this study were discussed and debated with academics and other South Asia experts both in Asia and in Europe.

This book examines the complex political structures of Pakistan and India that determine both the Kashmir conflict and the geostrategic environment underpinning it. Providing comprehensive knowledge on both historical and contemporary dynamics of Indo-Pakistani policies and relations, this book combines a brief history of the Kashmir conflict with thorough politological analysis. Analyses range from strategic dynamics in the aftermath of bifurcation of Indian-administered Kashmir, to ideologically motivated and state-led narratives, security dilemmas, regional and geopolitical dynamics. The book ultimately aims to investigates which policies India and Pakistan develop vis--vis the territories of former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir (PSJ&K) in a balanced and impartial manner. While placing the subject against the backdrop of Pakistan's and India's domestic and international policies, this book emphasises why Kashmir is so important to both countries and how it is manifested in their policies. Kashmir in India and Pakistan policies will appeal to students and scholars of peace and conflict studies, international relations, political science, and South Asian studies.

This book provides analysis of the legal status of territories of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, considering potential opportunities for Kashmir conflict resolution. Containing a detailed survey of relevant legislation and international documents, chapters throughout this book investigate the attempts and failures of Kashmir conflict resolution, holding up factors which could enable more peaceful relations between India and Pakistan with inclusion of the inhabitants of the erstwhile Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. The book goes further than outlining how India and Pakistan determine legal status of their portions of Kashmir by demonstrating the complexity of legal arrangements and why this protracted conflict is so difficult to resolve. As the Kashmir conflict is not only about territory and irredentism, themes such as cultural and national identity, power procurement, territorial security, communal rivalry, religious radicalisation, economic factors, and social issues are all taken into consideration. Law and Conflict Resolution in Kashmir will appeal to students and scholars of peace and conflict studies, international relations, international law studies, and South Asian studies.

The book is a comprehensive study on human rights in Kashmir in relation to the dynamics of Indo-Pakistani policies, providing a structured and interdisciplinary approach to the subject. Whilst surveying some of the most appalling case studies of human rights abuses, the book offers a methodical analysis of the structural and structured human rights violations in the divided Kashmir and placing them in a much broader context of South Asian politics. The book examines root causes responsible for a human rights violations-prone environment and climate of impunity in which the actors perpetrate their crimes unpunished, unwrapping legal and extra-legal nexus behind the crimes. Human Rights Violations in Kashmir will appeal to students and scholars of peace and conflict studies, international relations, human rights studies, and South Asian studies.

This article investigates the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which involves a whole package of multiple cooperative initiatives aimed to accelerate connectivity via land routes and boost Sino-Pakistani collaboration. While channelling Chinese power and interests, this corridor, being a key part of the Belt and Road Initiative, may significantly affect the security landscape in conflict-prone South Asia, and the economic, political and social dynamics within Pakistan. Being a fragile state with multiple domestic challenges and asymmetric position vis-à-vis China, Pakistan is a valuable source for regional power game and China's aspiration analysis. The comprehensive evaluation of economic corridors' multidimensional impact on volatile regions with poor socio-economic background, contested political power and high-security risk fills a much-needed gap in contemporary security studies. We contend that CPEC may bring stabilising and destabilising results; yet, if certain conditions are not met, over the long term, the latter are likely to outweigh the former due to the various aspects of internal, bilateral and regional character. To evaluate the corridor's multifaceted implications, firstly, we conceptualise CPEC within the selected international relations paradigms, and secondly, we empirically refer to our assumptions.