The October 2025 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, deals with India and Pakistan relations that have been marred by enduring and complex conflicts ever since the traumatic partition of British India in 1947. The India-Pakistan conflict has evolved from a post-colonial territorial dispute to a complex rivalry that intersects with global power competition and economic development challenges. In the past decade, India has demonstrated greater willingness to use military force while leveraging its growing international stature to deter and isolate Pakistan diplomatically. The crisis in May 2025 marked a new phase in this rivalry, with India introducing water as a strategic tool through the Indus Waters Treaty suspension. The conflict remains one of the most significant obstacles to South Asian development and integration. The author also analyzes how the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 has further altered these dynamics in South Asia, with reduced U.S. need for Pakistani cooperation, increased focus on containing China and importance of India as trading partner.
