Ashique Hussain Abbasi has an Mphil in IR. He is from Ghotki, Sindh and is currently a teacher.

The more than 7-decade-old conflict between India and Pakistan can be understood differently with the help of various IR theories, such as realism or constructivism. The realist paradigm views it in terms of power politics, national interest, military security, and survival. For India, it is a matter of power politics; for Pakistan, it is a case of survival against a five times larger enemy. For India, it is a matter of getting itself recognized as a regional hegemon, but for Pakistan, it is a matter of protecting its sovereignty against frequent Indian aggression.

This perspective of the realist paradigm has guided leaders on both sides. Since their simultaneous birth in August 1947, their internal and external policies have been made in terms of strengthening themselves against each other in line with the realist model of statecraft. In their formative years, Pakistan’s search for allies and India’s showcase policy of non-alignment are a case in point. Even to this day, both states remain entangled in an unannounced but evident alliance system, one that China and the United States formulated. Hence, both countries’ foreign policies align with the realist paradigm. Through the realist view, we see a cycle of war and peace periods since 1947. However, the realist paradigm doesn’t provide any solution to their conflict. Rather, it maintains a status quo between them.

Apart from this, let’s try to understand how constructivism explains the India-Pakistan conflict.

Alexander Wendt, the pioneer of constructivism, challenged the very notions and concepts of the realist model of state behaviour. He criticized the very concept of anarchy. He does not see any actual existence of anarchy in inter-state relationships. Rather, ‘it is what states make of it’. He implies that it is the actions, policies, and establishment of such institutions by the states that hinder the execution and implementation of the norms, laws, and rules in their........

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