ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of Kashmir in Pakistan's nation building process. The presupposition that Muslim-majority regions of India had to be incorporated into the newly established Muslim state in 1947 constituted the key point in Pakistan's international narrative and incessantly cast a shadow on its official discourse. The two-nation theory, used by the proponents of Pakistan's inception as a nation building political concept, artificially projected the Indian Muslims as a monolithic group, irrespective of their origin, social belonging, historical heritage, etc. This ideologically rooted discourse heralded future tensions within Pakistan, provided framework for Pakistan's territorial claims vis-à-vis IaJK (Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir) and persistent pretension of acting as defender of Kashmiri Muslims rights. Pakistan's stance on Kashmir is unalterably based on key 12 components, which exemplify its India-centric geostrategic objectives.
