INDO-US STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: CHALLENGES AND CHOICES FOR PAKISTAN

Abstract

This article examines the implications of the Indo-US strategic partnership for Pakistan's security and foreign policy choices. Because of their shared security interests, the United States and India have aligned to contain China's rise in the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR).  This partnership raises India’s power, status, and overall influence in the region compared to Pakistan. Considering the long rivalry between India and Pakistan—rooted in ideological, historical, and territorial disputes—this partnership raises the prospects of conflict in South Asia. Additionally, Pakistan-China-India and Pakistan-China-US triangulated relationships add layers of complexity, further diminishing the prospects for cooperation and peace, as a bilateral conflict between any two countries tends to involve the third. The complexities of the first triangle create a security dilemma, mutual distrust, and rivalry among the three regional powers, which, in turn, complicate the relationships within the second triangle. It is argued that the Indo-US partnership complicates Pakistan's security dilemma, heightens the arms race, raises the prospects of conflicts, and encourages Pakistan to align with China closely.

Bibliography Entry

Khan, Aamir Hussain and Muhammad Arif Khan 2025. "Indo-US Strategic Alignment in the Indo-Pacific: Challenges and Choices for Pakistan." Margalla Papers 29 (2): 1-16.