Prospects for Peace in South Asia

Front Cover
Stanford University Press, 2005 - Social Science - 424 pages
Prospects for Peace in South Asia addresses the largely hostile, often violent relations between India and Pakistan that date from their independence in 1947. The persistent conflict between the two neighboring countries over Kashmir has defied numerous international attempts at resolution and entered its most dangerous phase when both India and Pakistan became nuclear powers in 1998.

The struggle over Kashmir is enduringly rooted in national identity, religion, and human rights. It has also influenced the politicization of Pakistan's army, religious radicalism, and nuclearization in both countries. This incisive volume analyzes these forces, their impact on relations between the two countries, and alternative roles the United States might play in resolving the dispute. While acknowledging the risks, the book is optimistic about peace in South Asia. The key argument is that many of the domestic concerns (such as territorial integrity in both countries and civilian-military rapprochement in Pakistan) that were fueling the conflict have abated.

 

Contents

Introduction I
1
Islamic Extremism and Regional Conflict in South Asia 19 64
19
The Practice of Islam in Pakistan and the Influence
75
Pakistans Relations with Azad Kashmir and the Impact
109
Who Speaks for India? The Role of Civil Society
141
Transforming
185
The Politics
239
The StabilityInstability Paradox Misperception
261
Pakistans Nuclear Doctrine
280
U S Interests in South Asia
326
Notes
347
About the Contributors
403
Copyright

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About the author (2005)

Rafiq Dossani is a Senior Research Scholar at Stanford University's Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC), and is responsible for developing and directing the South Asia Initiative. Henry Rowen, Director Emeritus of APARC, is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.