Democracy v/s Dictatorship in Pakistan: Evaluating the Impact of Political Regimes on Pakistan-India Relations

Abstract

Pakistan is a South-Asian state having a history of instability since independence. The instability is majorly a contribution by continuous political changes which had been an important aspect in shaping Pakistan-India relations. This study examines the impact of political regimes on Pakistan- India relations through a comparative analysis of dictatorships and democratic governments in Pakistan. The research aims to evaluate whether the nature of the political regime in Pakistan influences its relations with India. The study uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze the historical and contemporary bilateral relations between Pakistan and India under different political regimes in Pakistan. The findings of this research contribute to the understanding of the factors that shape Pakistan-India relations and highlight the importance of political regimes in shaping foreign policy. The results suggest that democratic governments in Pakistan have had a relatively more positive impact on bilateral relations with India compared to dictatorships.