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The protracted conflict between the US and the former USSR demonstrated that deterrence stability is improved by détente. South Asia's environment is characterized by mutual hostility; conventional military balance tilting in favor of India; and lack of a transparent and nonaggressive nuclear doctrine. The aforementioned factors are the missing components of détente. Both the provocative Indian expansion in its nuclear weapons programme, and Pakistani retaliatory notion of the short-range weapons option, is problematic not only in the South Asian context, but also contradictory to the decades-long experience acquired during the Cold War. Pakistan and India must move towards nuclear CBMs, doctrinal clarity, and risk-reduction measures in the light of new technological advancements, and changing US role in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overt nuclearization in South Asia brought peace and closed the doors for any conventional war between India and Pakistan. But the Indian military doctrinal transformation after 1998 threatened the deterrence stability in South Asia. The idea of limited war under the nuclear umbrella, also known as Cold Start Doctrine (CSD), compelled Pakistan to develop nuclear tipped low yield battlefield nuclear weapons to deter shallow manoeuvres by the Indian Army. Indian Military, later realized that the idea of limited war is risky, and it may escalate into a major war, thus, came up with the idea of sub-conventional warfare, the surgical strikes in its the Joint Armed Forces Doctrine-2017. The Indian military planners perceived that there is a possibility of surgical strikes or limited war in South Asia. However, Pakistani policy makers firmly believe that any attempt to carry out surgical strike will be massively retaliated within shortest possible time. Later, the risk and cost associated with any direct military engagement compelled Indian policy makers to emphasize more on hybrid warfare strategy and indirectly capitalize on the socio-economic, ethno-religious, and political vulnerabilities of Pakistan. The study seeks to analyse the Indian military's doctrinal shift and its implications for the strategic stability of South Asia. It also deals with Pakistan's conventional and nuclear response to the doctrinal transformation by the Indian military. The strategic shift in the Indian military's thinking is continuous because Pakistan came up with adequate answers to their doctrinal manoeuvring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear security has always been a sensitive area for international cooperation and even for sharing the best practices. States have been guarding the information about their nuclear security measures. With the introduction of terrorism phenomenon after 9/11 incident, the international community has been conscious about possibility of an act of nuclear or radiological terrorism. The US President Barack Obama undertook the task of securing the world from this new kind of terrorism and initiated process of Nuclear Security Summits (NSS)from 2010-2016 in which 53 heads of states were invited. It was the highest forum at which nuclear security was discussed; although, cautiously. NSS entrusted IAEA with the lead role in nuclear security at parallel with the nuclear safety. How the IAEA stands up to its added responsibilities in the post NSS process has to be seen in times to come. Pakistan has also come a long way in perfecting its nuclear security measures especially under the challenging scenario of Global War on Terror (GWOT) being contested within and around Pakistan's geographical borders. Despite the challenging security environments, Pakistan's nuclear security measures remained steadfast and not a single terrorist act happened. An appraisal of Pakistani nuclear security approach would be useful for nuclear technology aspirant states as a model of nuclear security best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People employ both violent and non-violent means to achieve political ends. Some suggest that grievances -- actual or perceived, motivate people to adopt violence, while others argue that greed and opportunity structures stimulate violence - motivation is indeterminate. A plethora of the existing work explains motivations, operational methods, targets etc. of political violence and insurgencies; however, academic inquiry into intra-movement dynamics and its effects on achievement of their strategic objectives is scant. This paper employs Movement Structure Theory to unravel intramovement behavior of militant groups by disaggregating ethnic militancy in Balochistan, to answer some of the basic questions of what constitutes success / failure for non-state violence and which factors effect variation in polarity of Baloch movement. Better understanding of intra-movement dynamics would facilitate policymakers in estimating probability of successes/failures of ethnic movements and developing focused strategies to efficiently mitigate ethnic violence. Paper concludes that presence of multiple groups in a movement undermines its ability to achieve strategic objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic Stability is defined as Safety, Security and survivability of nuclear weapons. Strategic stability is largely each and every stability that prevents the war between the two nuclear weapons adversaries. The stability of South Asia is directly proportional to the balanced strategic equation between India and Pakistan. The graph of nuclear learning depicts negative trends and shows that after twenty years of overt nuclearization; both the states are in the process of nurturing their relations. Pakistan is considered as a weak state in international hierarchical system however; its nuclear status has bolstered its grade in the world. Pakistan does not see itself chasing Prestige Model, however, it is acquainted with its underdog status in international community, thus uses nuclear weapon as a tool of Deterrence to ensure its survival. The nuclear weapons are considered as an instrument to avert India from waging humiliating war against Pakistan. The Indian foreign policy tenets stand to maintain a status quo with Pakistan keeping in consideration the political turmoil, indeed this is seen through the prism of Deterrence in Indo-Pak relations. The significant attribute of Deterrence in Indo-Pak relations is that both are hesitant to characterize red lines. The paper explores the concept of Strategic Stability itself and how it has evolved from Cold War to South Asia, moreover the intangible factors that could be involved in destabilizing South Asian Strategic Stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper through the lens of Security Dilemma, implores the international institutions in general and USA in concert with China in particular, to take the driving seat to forestall any eventuality of a nuclear catastrophe to take place in South Asian security architecture. The world is reminded that the Indian ploy of resorting to 'Bilateralism', has neither borne any dividends in the past 70 years in thwarting the Security Dilemma, nor is likely to resolve any thing at their own any time soon, before it is too late. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf region due to its vast oil and gas reserves has attracted world attention especially the major powers to meet their energy needs. The USA has declared it as a vital national security interest and is bent upon using all elements of national power to ensure the energy resources of Gulf are available for US and its allies without preconditions. The oil crises of 1970s were the watershed for the US policy planners who considered guaranteed and uninterrupted Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs) for transportation of energy needs. Therefore, to safeguard any eventuality, the USA commenced basing of its military for protection of SLOCs and later in the transformation of Middle East as a result of US actions in response to War on Terror and regime change philosophy, the USA and other Extra Regional Forces (ERF) have established permanent bases in the Gulf with the aim of conducting counter terrorism operations and providing stability to highly volatile region. The Iranian nuclear aspiration is not new phenomena, which from Iran's perspective is the only deterrent in the face of credible threat surrounding it with the presence of ERF, ever hostile Israel and now Saudi Arabia leading a dominant anti-Iranian alliance. While other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Israel are pursuing nuclear path, but not demonized by USA and its allies while unilateral pressure is being applied on Iran for capping and later abandoning nuclear capabilities. This research article therefore, sketches the overall security environments of Middle East and Gulf, highlighting transformation, power transition and evolving balance of power. The nuclear aspects have been covered in a wholesome manner in order to build comprehensive picture of nuclearization in the Gulf and its impact on regional stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate about inevitability of space is getting weaponized and a focal issue. Introduction of 3rd and 4th generation of warfare concepts have blurred the conventional warfare a bit further. Destruction associated with lethal weapons on earth have made the great powers' policy makers to think differently and find out the means to enhance their strategic ends by exploiting the technological edge they have over rest. Outer space weapons are expected to be the mean for seeking and maintaining great power status and maintaining it too. The US President; Trump has already shown his willingness to exploit outer space as a domain to ensure safety and security of the US mainland. The US approach under Trump Administration has rung the bells among the US strategic competitors like, Russia and China who view the development against the normative status of outer space i.e. common heritage. Similarly, in the South Asian context, India has been looking for its great power status since its inception in 1947. India, under the leadership of nationalist government, has shown its resolve to exploit its outer space edge in the South Asian region to meet its long awaited end of becoming a great power. However, it is, easier to than to do, Indian major power status through use of space control would be counter-productive for its neighbor -- Pakistan, who feels existential threat from it. Thus introduction of space weapons in South Asian security calculus would negatively impact upon strategic and deterrence stability of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is aimed at evaluating prevailing global scenario and the dynamics of shift of power from the West to the East. Efforts have been made to analyze the economic, political, and security trends to understand important aspects of the power transition process. Currently, there is an enough literature available, which proves the existing consensus among many experts that China is playing a central role in the process of shift of power from the West to the East. Therefore, while explaining this transition process, it is pertinent to focus on the leading role of China and its possible implications. So, this study further highlights the rising power of China covering an overall picture of China, particularly its economic development process, the political and cultural aspects, and the military modernization. Efforts have been made to give an analytical view that how the rise in economic power is gradually transforming itself into political, diplomatic, and military strength of China. Besides; this research effort also focuses on how China is adjusting its foreign policy posture in the regional and global affairs, which culminates or aims at adjusting itself to globalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]