Indo-Pakistani conflict: internal and external factors of confrontation as security risks for the South Asian region

The security architecture of South Asia is largely determined by the Indo-Pakistani conflict, which currently has a high confl ict potential associated with the historical aspects of the formation of the Indian and Pakistani states and nations, the intervention of regional and global players, and the presence of nuclear weapons on both sides, which greatly increases the potential danger of escalation of the confrontation. In historical terms, after the end of World War II, the withdrawal of Great Britain, which ended a long colonial expansion, led to the violent partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The artificially drawn borders alone created several levels of conflict: interreligious (Hindu-Muslim confrontation), political (between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress Party), international military and political (between Islamic Pakistan and secular India, where Hindus dominate). Consequently, the formation and development of two civilizational communities — the dominant Hindu and the relatively “young” Muslim — leaves a signifi cant imprint on the relations between the two countries. The Kashmir issue has taken a special place in this complex and multi-layered confl ict. It concerns the princely state of Kashmir (currently the state of Jammu and Kashmir, approximately two-Thirds of which is owned by India, and the rest is under Pakistani control), which has been independent since the time of British rule, is predominantly populated by Muslims, and is the subject of mutual claims by India and Pakistan. The Kashmir issue has increased the level of antagonism between the two countries many times over, causing the Indo-Pakistani conflict to become one of the most complex knots in world politics for many decades. The religious, national, and political aspects of the conflict are inextricably linked with the peculiarities of the processes of nation- and state-building in India and Pakistan. In examining the reasons for the continued high potential of the Indo-Pakistani confrontation at the present stage, it should be noted that the incompleteness of the processes of state-building in India and especially Pakistan, the complex interweaving of internal and external security threats for both countries, as well as changes in the security system of South Asia have paved the way for regional transformation.