The India-Pakistan sub-conventional war : democracy and peace in South Asia

"The India-Pakistan Sub-conventional War: Democracy and Peace in South Asia argues that it is possible to map the functioning of democracy in South Asia by studying the role of the army in the political processes of Pakistan. In December 1988, Pakistan experienced a transition to democracy. Simultaneously, the military-intelligence complex was also able to take advantage of insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and intensify the proxy war against India. Considering such a contradictory political situation, this book studies the deepening conflictual trajectory of the India-Pakistan relations since 1989. By analyzing this period of history, it argues that, in South Asia, the process of democratic transition and intensification of the sub-conventional war have happened concurrently. The book further argues that overt nuclear weaponization and the failure of nuclear deterrence allowed the sustenance of the India-Pakistan sub-conventional war. By examining the subcontinental security predicament involving the two nuclear-powered adversaries, the book interrogates the democratic peace thesis. It deconstructs the thesis' arguments in the geo-strategic context of the South Asian regional security architecture"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Sage History 2 Half title 4 Full title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Marketing page 9 CONTENTS 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12 INTRODUCTION 16 1 Modernity and the Crisis of Democratization in South Asia 32 2 Political Decay and the Legitimation Crisis in South Asia 79 3 Nuclear Nationalisms and Quest for Ontological Security 128 4 Subconventional War and the Problematique of Liberal Peace 163 5 Conclusion 200 AFTERWORD 215 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 218 INDEX 219