Abstract
The Pulwama saga has once again brought to the fore the volatility of the region in which full-scale war was ostensibly averted through behind the curtain interlocutors but more by the nightmare of the nuclear holocaust in the region. The threat of nuclear showdown is not eminent anywhere else in the world but in South Asia. This academic foray endeavors to the concept of deterrence in South Asia and the role it has played in maintaining peace, thus far, a series of breaking points notwithstanding. The crises, though averted temporarily with the Kashmir issue remaining unresolved and India resorting to hybrid war against Pakistan, the volatile and uncertain strategic environment of the region has always caused anguish for the international fraternity. In obtaining geostrategic milieu, the US still has the wherewithal to influence the escalation ladder due to its large military footprints in the Indo-Pacific region. However, due to increasing Indo-US convergence of interests in the region, the role of the US can no longer be considered as non-partisan in the imbroglio, especially, when viewed in the context of deep cooperation between Pakistan and China, the epitome being CPEC. This calls for the involvement of international community in maintaining peace in the region. There is a dire need for the international fraternity led by the US to work in a non-partisan manner to maintain normalcy in the region and forge confidence amongst the unpredictable nuclear pugilists.
Keyword(s)
Deterrence, Strategic Stability, Conflict Paradigm, Nuclear Weapons, Cold War.