Sadia Atta
SOUTH Asia is a region of great importance for the international community because of its strategic location and emerging economies. But this region is facing problems. Peace and stability in South Asia is threatened due to interstate disputes and lack of trust among the regional countries. The interstate conflicts among the regional countries are the major hurdles for bringing stability in the region. The instability in South Asia is mainly due to the hostilities between India and Pakistan.
Since their partition, the relationship between Pakistan and India is going towards hostility which is posing threat to the stability of the region. A number of historical and political events led to the creation of hostile relations between two countries. Due to the improper distribution of lands (e.g., Gurdaspur and Ferozepur district etc) between India and Pakistan the peaceful coexistence diminished. India stopped the flow of water that went to Pakistan due to which Pakistan faced agricultural problems. Then the Indus Water Treaty was established between them. According to this agreement, authority over the flowing of water in three “western” and three “eastern” rivers of India was awarded to Pakistan and India respectively. But recently the clash of Indus Water Treaty and Baglihar dam is creating tension between two states.
Moreover, the major issue between the two countries is Kashmir over which many wars have been fought and is still unresolved. It forms another factor of political uncertainty in South Asia. Kashmir issue cannot be resolved until the two states themselves resolve the issue through peaceful dialogues and not through war. But more importantly, the involvement of international actors will be helpful in resolving this issue.
The tension between Pakistan and India is a significant source of concern and conflict within the region. Their relations are based on security dilemma which makes them nuclear powers. Both states are in competition with each other due to which they have increased their nuclear arsenals for their security. According to the realist school of thought, both states are maximizing their powers by building nuclear weapons. Nuclearization of South Asia is posing threat to the stability and security of the region. Pakistan and India are the regional powers of South Asia and the conflict between them is dangerous for the security of the rest of the regional states.
As the South Asian region is economically poor and the regional countries are involved in conflicts with one another so SAARC was created to increase mutual cooperation among the regional countries in social, economic and political areas, to make the self-reliance among the regional countries, to make South Asia as a free trade zone, to eliminate poverty and promote peace and stability in the region but this organization failed in achieving its objectives due to the interstate disputes and lack of cooperation among the regional countries. The hostile relations between India and Pakistan was the main reason for the failure of the SAARC.
The detrimental relations and a number of conflicts between Pakistan and India result in the instability of South Asia. The increased militant attacks from both sides threatened the regional peace. The region faced security challenges due to the bilateral connections between India and Pakistan. Due to this, there is lack of FDI’s in the region. Their bilateral relations are always a source of hindrance for the economic development of the region.
Thus, all regional countries need to put their differences aside and should cooperate with each other to promote harmony and stability in the region. Harmony and stability in South Asia cannot be achieved unless there is peace between Pakistan and India. Peace and solidity are important for regional development. The interstate clashes need to be solved through mutual collaboration. The Kashmir dispute cannot be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan but can be resolved with an active participation of the international actors. The two powerful countries, India and Pakistan can do a lot for the shared prosperity of the region. Bilateral trade mainly between Pakistan and India will boost the region’s economy.
—The writer, a freelancer, has served in ISPR.