India-Pakistan Peace Process: Intent and Incapacity Paradox

Attempts to stay engaged in a process of sustained dialogue and achieve incremental progress towards peace by the Indian and Pakistani political leadership suffered another setback in the form of cross-border firing and allegations of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the international boundary in 2013. While New Delhi's Congress party-led regime, facing parliamentary elections in 2014, buckled under pressure from an intrusive media and the opposition political parties, the new civilian government in Islamabad, in its edgy relationship with the country's powerful military, put the peace project in the back burner. As allegations and counter charges flew, incapacities of both countries to bring the situation under control were reinforced. The article uses this case study to assess the intent of as well as limitations on leadership of both countries for staying engaged in a process of dialogue. Not just their commitment to peace, but the ability to defy the limitations would shape the future of Indo-Pak relations, the article argues.