File photo. Narinder Nanu—AFP
Pak-Indo relations remain enshrouded in uncertainty, despite looming regional shifts requiring new alliances to benefit their populations. To Pakistan’s credit, it has periodically proposed regional arms controls and confidence-building measures since the 1970s, with India usually outright rejecting them, as it does not wish to lose its strategic position with respect to China. With the China-India conflict perennially on the boil, it is now time for Pakistan to re-examine the situation to better construct its future strategies.
The Pak-Indo rivalry extends back to Partition in 1947, when violence broke out between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, leaving over a million people dead in Punjab and West Bengal. While most of the bifurcations imposed by the British were eventually accepted, Kashmir—then more than 70 percent Muslim—remains a stumbling block, as Pakistan maintains its residents should vote on the country they wish to join, while India insists the region’s then-Hindu maharaja had the right to remain in India. This struggle has played out since Partition, at times covertly, at others through open conflict. Attempts to resolve this issue have persistently ended with deadlock, as the neighboring states now struggle to move past decades of rhetoric to achieve cooperation through trade and communication as a means to achieve peace and prosperity for their respective populations.
The 2019 Balakot airstrike in Pakistan by India brought the two states to the brink of war, with a détente finally emerging in February 2021, when they issued a joint statement announcing they would observe the 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control. Despite some deviations, this has largely remained the status quo since. However, trade remains heavily restricted following the 2019 abrogation of India-held Kashmir’s special constitutional status, recently validated by the Indian Supreme Court. The path to peace lies through mutual trade, including but not limited to Pakistan allowing India to export goods to Afghanistan and central Asian states through its territory. This would transform Pakistan into a trade corridor, boosting its economy and encouraging development in far-flung areas that need it most. Contrary to popular belief, this does not require Pakistan “abandoning” its principled position on Kashmir; but rather opening dialogue that would eventually lead to the resolution of the longstanding dispute.