Military-Intelligence-Militant Nexus in Pakistan: Fighting a War of Asymmetry against India

The sense of insecurity created by a regionally preponderant and militarily powerful India is the central catalytic factor that influences the dynamics of Pakistan’s regional security perception. The military-militant nexus in Pakistan, built around army’s misguided obsession with India, pursues strategic priorities in the name of protecting its national interests in Kashmir and Kabul. Sadly, both the Kashmir and Afghan policies of the military have started hurting Pakistan - internally and externally - more than India. In the post-9/11 period, the Pakistani military must give up its twisted logic of insecurity and focus on building a stable and progressive society, by denying the use-value of the nonstate actors (militants) against India. This paper highlights the changing role of military-intelligence-militant nexus in Pakistan in fighting a war of asymmetry against India from the 1970s, to the post-9/11 period.