Strained Indo-Pak ties till Lok Sabha polls: US report

A report presented by the US-intelligence in the Senate on Tuesday has predicted strained relations between India and Pakistan till the LokSabha election are held in India this year. 

In its report, 'Worldwide Threat Assessment', the agency has stated: "fFiring across the Line of Control (LoC), divisive national elections in India, and Islamabad's perception of its position with the United States relative to India will contribute to strained India-Pakistan relations at least through May 2019, the deadline for the Indian election, and probably beyond".

It has also stated: "despite limited confidence-building measures—such as both countries recommitting in May 2018 to the 2003 cease-fire along the disputed Kashmir border—continued attacks and cross-border firing in Kashmir have hardened each country's position and reduced their political will to seek rapprochement."

Political manoeuvring resulting from the Indian national elections probably will further constrain near-term opportunities for improving ties, it mentioned. Meanwhile, report has stated that there is also going to be increase in escalation between India and China.

"We expect relations between India and China to remain tense, despite efforts on both sides to manage tensions since the border standoff in 2017, elevating the risk of unintentional escalation. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi held an informal summit in April 2018 to defuse tension and normalize relations, but they did not address border issues. Misperceptions of military movements or construction might result in tensions escalating into armed conflict," it mentioned.