Proxy War to Proxy Peace; Strategic Insights: v.2, issue 8 (August 2003)
Authors
Rana, Surinder
Subjects
Advisors
Date of Issue
2003-08
Date
August 2003
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
During his visit to Kashmir on 18 April 2003, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee made a new peace offer to Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister Zaffarullah Khan Jamali responded to this offer by making a telephone call to Mr. Vajpayee on 20 April 2003, thereby setting in motion speculation on the possibility of high-level engagement between the two countries. During recent months, both sides have made positive moves toward a fresh rapprochement, including a set of India-centered confidence building measures undertaken by Pakistan, both countries restoring normal diplomatic ties, and also announcing restoration of air and land transportation links between the two countries. Furthermore, both sides have avoided indulging in heightened euphoria about an immediate start of bilateral dialogue, preferring a cautious and weighted approach with a better prospect of leading towards meaningful communication. Despite heightened expectations caused by the talk of talks between the two countries, the progress in that direction has been rather tardy. This Strategic Insight argues that Pakistan's political response to India's peace offer is a proxy response, and that the real stakeholders in Pakistan are still undecided on final contours of the Pakistan-India relationship.
Type
Article
Description
This article appeared in Strategic Insights (August 2003), v.2 no.8
Series/Report No
Strategic Insights, 2002-2010
Strategic Insights
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Center on Contemporary Conflict (CCC)
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funding
Format
Citation
Strategic Insights, v.2, issue 8 (August 2003)
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.