The Institute of Regional Studies report Building Peace in South Asia: Post-Pahalgam Scenario, prepared after a joint dialogue with the Beaconhouse Centre for Policy Research following the May 2025 crisis, contends that India’s policies are contributing to its growing marginalization. The document assesses the regional crisis in detail and sets out recommendations for Pakistan to protect its interests while promoting stability in South Asia amid signs of India isolation.
Ambassador Jauhar Saleem said the May 2025 military escalation signalled a shift in India’s strategic doctrine from a nuclear-calibrated, status-quo posture to a more assertive and risk-tolerant approach. He pointed to Operation Sindoor as an example of India attempting to reshape deterrence by raising costs for Pakistan. Ambassador Saleem emphasised that Pakistan’s measured response prioritised regional stability and safeguarded national sovereignty while reaffirming a commitment to principled peace in the neighbourhood.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed argued that flawed policies are increasingly isolating India in South Asia and beyond. He also noted a shift in U.S. policy, suggesting that the previous American administration had withdrawn India’s strategic cover and signalled reluctance to support a high-stakes confrontation with China, a development that has fed into India’s reassessment of its strategic choices.
Ambassador Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, chairman of the Sanober Institute, described the report as a resourceful document offering practical strategies. He highlighted cross-border terrorism as an ongoing friction point and warned of the potential for renewed Indian aggression driven by internal grievances and a pursuit of national prestige, a dynamic the report links to rising concerns about India isolation.
Ambassador Mansoor Ahmed Khan, director of BCPR, urged Pakistan to leverage its strategic position to act as a hub for regional integration. He recommended deeper engagement with South Asian partners such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan as a way to build resilience and counter efforts aimed at isolating Pakistan.
The report launch drew a wide audience of diplomats, former ambassadors, scholars, researchers, media representatives and university students. Attendees said the document provides a timely roadmap for Pakistan to navigate changing regional realities and to translate strategic diplomacy into practical cooperation while responding to indicators of India isolation.
