Takshashila Discussion Document - Sustained Dialogue Process as India’s Pakistan Policy: An assessment

Executive Summary

A prevalent view in India is that a sustained dialogue at the highest levels is the only realistic chance for peace with Pakistan. In this paper, we systematically dissect the assumptions that have resulted in this perception that dialogue will solve India’s Pakistan problem.

Applying historical institutionalism, path dependency and realism, we find that the edifice of assumptions on which the dialogue process as a policy instrument rests, is on an extremely weak footing.

We assess that talks, especially at higher levels of the political spectrum have a close correlation with terror attacks by the military—jihadi complex (MJC). The paper further demonstrates that it is not even clear if Pakistan’s civilian establishment, let alone the army, wants peace with India.

We therefore recommend that it is futile to spend cycles on trying to engage Pakistan at all costs.  Only by developing and putting in place mitigation strategies can India truly hope to better insulate itself from the terror infrastructure that operates out of Pakistan with the support and patronage of that country’s security establishment.

Authors