Balance of Power in South Asia: The Politics of Nuclear Deterrence between Pakistan and India

Balance of Power mechanism is meant to ensure the existence of the naon state in the internaonal system through creang a balancing mechanism or equilibrium of power. Polical scene of Europe has been witnessing this mechanism for the last 400 years, though in varied forms. The arrival of nuclear weapons transformed the dynamics of the balance of power system. This factor has raised the relevance of balance of power in favor of polical forces at the expense of military power. The realists, nonetheless, argue that it is the interplay of military and polical dimensions of balance of power i.e. the characteriscs of the naon state's balancing approach vis‐a‐vis the dominant player in the system. The concept of power equilibrium has led the Italian born polical scienst A.F.K. Organski to opine that it is not equilibrium of power that guarantees peace, but the preponderance of power between great powers that leads to lasng peace and order in the internaonal polics. Relavely weak players in the internaonal system get engaged with strong ones to minimize their opponent's military threats and may opt for deterrence capability. As a result strategic balancing comes into effect. The focus of this study is to analyze the convenonal power imbalance between India and Pakistan since independence. Super powers' struggle for influence in the South Asian region has been a great disturbing factor for regional equilibrium. It will also be analyzed in this study as to how the convenonal and nuclear forces have been used by both India and Pakistan to counterbalance not only each other's moves but also the intenons. An interesng paradox of the power moves of both countries will be studied in which the regional outreach of one country (India) is straight away considered as a threat to the very survival of the other country (Pakistan)