EVOLUTION AND IMPACT OF INDO PAK CONFIDENCE BUILDING AGREEMENTS: A HISTORICAL REVIEW FROM KARACHI TO MUMBAI

Abstract

This research provides a historical review of Indo-Pakistan Confidence Building Agreements from the Karachi Agreement of 1949 to the Mumbai Attacks of 2008. Drawing from primary interviews, surveys, and secondary data, the study explores the evolution and impact of key bilateral treaties and declarations aimed at reducing conflict. Notable agreements include the Indus Waters Treaty (1960), Simla Agreement (1972), Non-Nuclear Aggression Agreement (1991), and Lahore Declaration (1999). These measures were intended to foster cooperation, but their success was often limited by persistent distrust and recurring military confrontations. The study identifies the absence of consistent diplomatic follow-up, limited educational and cultural exchanges, and lack of scholarship and student mobility as barriers to lasting peace. Media hostility and blame games, particularly from the Indian side, have further deepened public animosity. The research concludes that while CBMs have occasionally eased tensions, their long-term effectiveness requires strong political will, people-to-people dialogue, trade concessions, and a cooperative approach to shared challenges like terrorism.