COVERT DIPLOMACY AND NON-KINETIC STATECRAFT: THE EVOLUTION OF INDIA-PAKISTAN RIVALRY (2018–2023)
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Abstract
Relation between India and Pakistan have been traditionally characterized by military confrontation, territory-related problems and direct engagement. Indo Pakistan strategic rivalry has seen some major changes, especially during 2018 – 2023. This period has demonstrated a clear transition towards non-kinetic and institutionally mediated contests. India has managed to align its statecraft by focusing on covert diplomacy, which is an indirect, undeniable and structurally embedded strategy through international institutions, economic regimes, strategic partnerships and global narrative construction.Using a qualitative interpretivist approach, the study analyse how India has been able to make use of multilateral platforms, financial governance structures and reputational mechanisms in order to influence the results that are not favourable to Pakistan. The process has led to the creation of a reputation asymmetry whereby India’s image of being a responsible and emerging power internationally offers diplomatic protection. While, placed Pakistan in a discourse of danger, instability and lack of compliance. This transformation, presents theoretical constructs, Boat Bridge Doctrine and Anshan Model. The former views national power as internally produced capacity based on addressing internal fault lines while the latter gives a practical model that if adopted can sail a nation through the turbulent waters of global politics towards glory. Combined, the frameworks represent a unified perspective on the way modern power can be produced and used on escalation-limited grounds. The transformation of India-Pakistan rivalry is indicative of wider tendencies in international politics whereby power is being exercised less through use of kinetic means and more through non-kinetic ones. The capacity of Pakistan to respond well will only be achieved through a complete re-set of its statecraft i.e. an inner consolidation, geo-economic involvement and a long-term narrative reconstruction.
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