Volatile South Asian Security Environment: Pakistan-India Factor

Abstract

The issue of terrorism has brought major shifts in the global political landscape especially after the tragic events of 9/11. South Asian region, with a characteristic volatility in its security environment due to India-Pakistan rivalry felt the shocks of global terror waves to a much greater extent than the rest of the world. Pakistan being a front line state in the global war against terrorism and a Muslim majority state had to bear an additional brunt of Indian hegemonic hostile state behavior which reached its highest ebbs in the post 9/11 South Asian political milieu. The two pressing issues of long held Indian hegemonic designs and global surge in violent religious extremism have deep ramifications for an already troubled India-Pakistan relations equation. A comprehensive understanding of these two phenomena is vital to understand the dynamics of contemporary South Asian regional security architecture. This paper takes into account the acrimonious relations between the two major actors, India and Pakistan, the forces at work in escalating their mutual distrust and antagonism and the impact on the security environment of South Asia.