Cooperation Under Protracted Conflict: India-Pakistan.

The unprecedented level of cooperation reached by India and Pakistan recently is encouraging, but begs the question: what are the consequences of cooperation for the protracted conflict? The paper argues that while the conflict has not ended, cooperation on different levels has transformed the conflict indefinitely. As states cooperate in a conflict setting, they get accustomed to the situation and the interest to terminate the conflict is likely to be lost. Although the conflicting states intend to resolve the root cause of the conflict, they realize the difficulty of attaining it. The idea is that trade and cultural links between the dyads cannot be stalled over bilateral disputes and that such cooperation can alleviate some of the differences, simmering the conflict. Cooperating within the parameters of the conflict becomes the norm. India and Pakistan have realized that it may be extremely difficult to resolve their 57-year old conflict, given their domestic political situations and the Kashmiris? own interests. Consequently, they have decided to cooperate under protracted conflict, transforming the conflict indefinitely. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]