From territorial disputes to enduring tensions: Geopolitics meets conflict management theory in India-Pakistan relations

Fatemi Nejad, Seyed Ahmad

doi:10.22034/igq.2026.561375.2134

From territorial disputes to enduring tensions: Geopolitics meets conflict management theory in India-Pakistan relations

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author

seyed ahmad fatemi nejad

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Economics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

10.22034/igq.2026.561375.2134

Abstract

India-Pakistan relations are among the spaces where territory and conflict are intertwined. Today, a tendency in the field of international conflict resolution has come to exist that some lasting conflicts could not be resolved quickly and definitely. In such cases, conflict management approaches that are primarily focused on preventing escalation of tensions seem to be more useful. But some conflicts, such as the Kashmir one, are very challenging even for these approaches. The article aims to show how the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir and other issues has been managed after their nuclear weapon tests. Integrating constructivism into a three-dimensional model of conflict management, this article focuses on explaining the actions taken at the five critical points of the post-1998 India-Pakistan conflict. Findings of the article show that the mentioned measures in three dimensions of compellence, negotiation and third party intervention together have been effective in de-escalating the conflict between the two countries during the period under review.

Keywords

conflict management'

compellence'

negotiation'

, '

third party intervention'

Subjects