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Deterrence Measure: A Cause for Promoting Regional Instability in South Asia

School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Yang Pu Qu, Shanghai 200437, P. R. China

School of Politics & International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan

E-mail Address: 19110170050@fudan.edu.cn

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Tseen Fu Brice Lee

School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Yang Pu Qu, Shanghai 200437, P. R. China

E-mail Address: 20110170060@fudan.edu.cn

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https://doi.org/10.1142/S2630531322500081Cited by:6 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

Deterrence policies are adopted to promote stability; however, in South Asia they have worked against the notion. Instead, they have pushed the participating countries, both regional and global, into an arms race, thereby promoting regional instability. This paper therefore makes an attempt to provide narratives to explain how deterrence policies of India and Pakistan have complicated the securitization process in South Asia, and have made deterrence less unstable. In this regard, first this paper examines deterrence within a conceptual framework and the historical anecdotes that have driven both Pakistan and India into the brink of chaos. Here, we also apply Buzan and Waever’s Regional Security Complex Theory to explain the existing security complexity in the region. Next, the paper examines the deterrence policies adopted by both the nations to protect their national interests. Then the paper shows how the deterrence policies adopted by these countries have encouraged the great powers to penetrate into the region to pacify their security interests. The paper presents a cyclical dynamics to explore the interests of the regional and great powers. Finally, the paper discusses the trickle-down effect of this security complexity on regional stability, followed by actionable recommendations and a conclusion.

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Vol. 04, No. 02

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Published: 21 December 2022

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This is an Open Access article, copyright owned by World Scientific Publishing Company (WSPC) and School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Shanghai International Studies University (SIRPA of SISU). The article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC) License which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited and is used for non-commercial purposes.

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Deterrence Measure: A Cause for Promoting Regional Instability in South Asia

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