This paper examines the evolving dynamics of cross-domain deterrence between Pakistan and India, focusing on how nuclear, conventional, and maritime capabilities intersect to shape South Asia’s security environment. Between 2014 and 2025, both countries have sought to project strength not only through nuclear signalling but also through conventional force modernisation and an increased emphasis on naval power in the Indian Ocean. These overlapping domains of deterrence influence how each side perceives threats, makes decisions, and responds during moments of tension. The Pahalgam episode, marked by sharpened rhetoric and heightened alert statuses, serves as a revealing case of how crises in South Asia can quickly spill across multiple domains, creating uncertainty and heightening the risk of miscalculation. The growing prominence of naval power, in particular, highlights how sea-based deterrence and maritime competition are adding new layers to the traditional nuclear equation between Pakistan and India. By drawing attention to the human and political dimensions of deterrence, the paper argues that South Asian stability cannot be understood solely in terms of nuclear balances. Instead, it requires recognising how military postures, leadership choices, and perceptions across different domains collectively shape crisis outcomes and long-term defence policies.
This study analyses the structural asymmetry in Pakistan and India’s bilateral relations with Kenya using World-Systems Theory (WST) and the framework of African Agency. Primarily, it investigates: How do the divergent economic trajectories of India and Pakistan shape their asymmetric relations with Kenya? And how Kenya exercises its agency to navigate South Asian asymmetric strategies to its advantage. It argues that India’s dominance is rooted in its status as an ascending semi-periphery, whereas Pakistan’s engagement remains constrained by limited capital accumulation and domestic economic volatility. Consequently, India provides high-value technological transfers and strategic depth, while Pakistan remains anchored in a traditional, commodity-based trade model. Rejecting the narrative of Africa as a passive periphery, this research positions Kenya as a dynamic regional hub that strategically leverages its supremacy to negotiate with competing South Asian powers. Through a qualitative comparative analysis of trade data and diplomatic records, the study covers the meaningful developments from 1978 to 2025. The findings reveal that India’s influence is sustained by institutional depth, vast diaspora networks, and digital infrastructure. Conversely, while Pakistan’s "Engage Africa" policy shows growth, it lacks sustained institutionalisation. The study concludes that for Pakistan to remain a viable partner, it must pivot from basic commodity exchange toward robust capacity building, diaspora engagement, and a deeper recognition of Kenya’s strategic agency.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan, based on constant tensions over the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has shifted from conventional to network-centric warfare, especially information warfare. The modern era is characterised by Fifth-Generation Warfare (5GW), which focuses on the use of non-kinetic instruments, including disinformation, psychological operations, propaganda, and perception management, to influence political will, societal morale, and decision-making without military action. This paper discusses how information warfare is practised as statecraft in South Asia, with a specific focus on how it has shaped the realities, identities, and interests of two nuclear-armed adversaries. Drawing on Social Constructivism, the paper examines how these narratives are constructed and disseminated through algorithmic digital spaces, particularly during the Pulwama crisis of 2019 and the May 2025 conflict. This study used qualitative and analytical methodology to analyse the secondary data sources. Moreover, the case study research design is used to analyse two major cases of information warfare between India and Pakistan. Finally, it provides policy recommendations for how Pakistan should address disinformation, strengthen its digital infrastructure, and enhance its international perceptions.
The international system is no longer undergoing a gradual transition but rather a systemic rupture, characterised by shifts in the distribution of power, erosion of institutional legitimacy, and fragmentation of normative consensus. Drawing on realist, liberal, and constructivist perspectives, the article examines the structural and normative drivers undermining the post-1945 international order, including great power rivalry, institutional paralysis, selective rule compliance, and technological and geo-economic coercion. Using qualitative analysis of recent geopolitical developments and regional conflicts, the study demonstrates that the emerging global environment is characterised by fragmentation, transactionalism, and power-centric behaviour rather than shared rules. It further assesses the strategic implications of this rupture for middle and developing powers, with particular emphasis on Pakistan’s diplomatic space, security calculus, and strategic choices in an increasingly polarised international system.
In the contemporary era, the weaponisation of digital platforms for perception and narrative control is becoming a crucial element in the emerging fifth-generation warfare. This paper examines the AI-driven disinformation campaigns during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war to analyse the impact of modern technologies on armed conflicts. Through a qualitative comparative case study research design, this paper comparatively analyses the asymmetry and reach of Russia and Ukraine’s AI-based information operations. The central focus of the research is to understand the extensive use of AI by Russia and Ukraine and its effectiveness in disseminating false narratives and shaping global perception. The research revealed that Russian information operations leveraged advanced technology and possess a broader international reach, whereas the Western-supported Ukrainian countermeasures are more defensive and domestic in nature. The findings suggest that AI is reinventing contemporary warfare while emphasising the decisive role of narrative framing in shaping future conflict outcomes.
