- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Nov 20 (APP):The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Thursday hosted a presentation and discussion on “Pakistan–India Relations: Fractured Past, Uncertain Future,” the latest book by former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
The event, moderated by PIDE Vice Chancellor Dr. Nadeem Javaid, drew scholars, diplomats, students and policy practitioners for an in-depth examination of one of South Asia’s most enduring and volatile relationships, a news release said.
Introducing the author, Dr Javaid described Ambassador Chaudhry as a veteran diplomat whose distinguished career spans postings in The Hague, New York, Washington and Islamabad.
He noted that Chaudhry had been directly engaged in key phases of the Pakistan–India peace process, from the Vajpayee–Musharraf era to the periods of Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.
Ambassador Chaudhry said his book departs from a traditional memoir and instead offers a structured analytical assessment of why Pakistan and India remain locked in hostility nearly eight decades after independence. He argued that while unresolved disputes lie at the heart of the conflict, the relationship is also shaped by deeper structural forces that repeatedly undermine attempts at reconciliation.
Drawing on historical records and diplomatic experience, he outlined four core drivers of confrontation: entrenched mistrust dating back to the final years of British rule; the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which ignited immediately after partition; the politicization of terrorism, in which incidents are attributed to Pakistan to shape international opinion; and India’s quest for regional dominance, reinforced by broader strategic ambitions and ideologies such as Akhand Bharat.
Chaudhry said wars, crises and diplomatic breakdowns — from Lahore and Agra to Mumbai, Pathankot and Pulwama – have hardened antagonism rather than produced openings for peace. Domestic political pressures, competing threat perceptions and shifting global alignments, he added, have sustained a security-first relationship in which dialogue is often overshadowed by suspicion.
He also addressed growing digital-era narratives that question the rationale for Pakistan’s creation. Citing independent studies on the political and social marginalization of Muslims in India, he argued that recent developments have reaffirmed the concerns that shaped the Pakistan movement. Pakistan, he said, must strengthen governance, refine diplomacy and build a fact-based national narrative to better engage global audiences.
In discussing the book’s concluding proposals, Chaudhry highlighted pathways for easing tensions, including sustained dialogue, enhanced people-to-people engagement and geo-economic cooperation. He noted that decades of agreements and confidence-building measures offer a substantial foundation should India choose to recalibrate its approach.
During a lively question-and-answer session, participants raised concerns about regional polarization, the role of global powers in past crises and the political use of religion. Chaudhry said both states have used religion politically, but the intensity of polarization within India today is unprecedented.
Closing the session, Dr. Javaid thanked the ambassador for providing a “deeply insightful and intellectually rich” analysis.
He said Pakistan–India relations continue to shape the security, economic and social futures of more than 1.5 billion people, and urged policymakers and scholars to look beyond headlines to understand the structural and human dimensions of the rivalry.
Progress in South Asia, he said, “is neither inevitable nor impossible,” but will require imagination, leadership and the courage to challenge entrenched narratives.