ABSTRACT
This chapter starts with a historical description of Pakistan–India rivalry, which includes different wars and crises with an analysis of the United States (US) role in mitigating the hostility. It discusses strategic stability in the region and how Pakistan has maintained equilibrium to avoid an imbalance of power in different crises situations. Multiple efforts were made to reach a constitutional framework based on mutual consent but the endemic Hindu–Muslim rivalry and the legacy of divide and rule had created so many differences that harmony was not possible. The conflict over the Siachen glacier can be seen as symbol of ego in the rivalry between India and Pakistan. It shows the intensity of the rivalry between the two states, paying huge cost not only in terms of economic burden but also in the shape of heavy human loss. Stephen Cohen has likened Pakistan’s strategic decisions to those of Israel: Both [Israel and Pakistan] sought an entangling alliance with various outside powers.
