Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
risk of conflict might increase if an active attempt at cooperation fails and if the
costs of conflict are very high.
In South Asia the regional organization, the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has provided a venue for meetings between
Indian and Pakistani leaders and sponsors some cooperative projects on regional
issues.
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However, SAARC cannot deal with bilateral issues, and the smaller
members are vulnerable to Indian pressure concerning the focus of SAARC
initiatives. India has twice been able to force a postponement of its annual
meetings when it was displeased with developments in Pakistan.
Seeking Outside Allies
Seeking outside allies against each other has been India's and Pakistan's most
consistent policies for over fifty years, and one of the most important ways in
which they have constructed their relationship. Sometimes these allies have been
willing, usually they have been reluctant. Pakistan has enlisted several Arab
states, Iran, the United States, China, and North Korea in its attempt to balance
Indian power. Washington usually felt uncomfortable in this role, resisting
Pakistan's efforts to extend the security umbrella to include an attack by India.
The Reagan administration drew the line at calling India a communist state,
which would have invoked the 1959 agreement to take measures to defend
Pakistan against communist aggression.
The Chinese have been less restrained, and while there is no known treaty
which binds Pakistan and China together, Beijing has provided more military
assistance to Pakistan than it has to any other state. Beijing saw its support for
Pakistan as serving double-duty, since a stronger Pakistan could counter the
Soviet Union and resist Indian pressure. Yet, China has moderated its support for
Pakistan's claims to Kashmir, and gradually normalized its relationship with
India. In turn, New Delhi saw an opportunity after 1988 to weaken the Beijing-
Islamabad tie by moving closer to China, and has been circumspect in its
criticism of Chinese policies in Tibet and elsewhere.
On India's part, the Soviet Union was seen as a major ally in its competition with
Pakistan. The Soviets provided a veto in the United Nations, massive arms
supplies, and general sympathy for New Delhi. However, this support was not
directed so much against Pakistan as it was against China; when the Gorbachev
government began to normalize relations with Beijing, its support for India
gradually declined.
It can be expected that these permutations will continue indefinitely, with
India and Pakistan seeking outside support against the other. This has been the
dominant feature of Indian diplomacy for decades, and it is unlikely to change
soon.
