ISAS Insights

Delhi’s recent decision to renew the dialogue with Islamabad, despite the lack of progress on the question of cross border terrorism, underlines the unenviable situation that India finds itself in. Few in India, expect that the resumption of the engagement, will produce substantive results in the near term. India’s ‘on-again, off-again’ peace process with Pakistan, for more than the last decade, has shown that Delhi is not in a position to either coerce Pakistan into giving up its support to ‘anti-India’ militant groups or entice Islamabad into normalising relations, by offering an early resolution of the conflict over Jammu and Kashmir. With limited leverage and problems in dealing with multiple power centres across the border, Delhi has no option but to demonstrate strategic patience in managing its complex relationship with Islamabad, while India awaits structural changes in Pakistan.