Pakistan’s Domestic constraints viz-a-viz India in Lahore Declaration 1999, Agra Summit 2001 and Peace Talks 2004.

Abstract

The bitter history of India-Pakistan relations urged the leaders of the two countries to revive the Lahore process so that both these neighbours will move together building a prosperous and vibrant future for their people as the history had threatened the people of India and Pakistan. Peace between them will stop the dangers of outbreak of armed/nuclear conflict. The time has come for Pakistan and India to make a critical choice between war and peace, love and hate, destruction and development, poverty and prosperity. This would only be possible through the process of negotiations based on the year to year discussions on different issues. Lahore summit was a success for both countries as India and Pakistan had showed their peaceful intentions for each other. Agra summit had created good will after the Kargil war which had frozen their relations. Peace talks of 2004 had showed that there was no sign of consensus in India on holding unconditional negotiations with Pakistan. There were different domestic constraints which acted as a hurdle for Pakistan foreign policy towards India. As foreign policy is the reflection of a country’s internal strengths and weaknesses, the control of domestic constraints of Pakistan would also create an impact on its relations with India.