Economic Cooperation between Pakistan and India: Need, Problems, and Prospects
Last updated: July 29, 2008
Author
Nasrullah Mirza
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Defense & Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University
Published by Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ACDIS Occasional Paper series
November 2005
Full text [PDF]Summary
This paper explains and analyzes the need to overcome political and economic obstacles to foster increased mutual trade between India and Pakistan in the context of the global political economy. For this purpose, the time period selected runs from 1947 to 1990. With the uprising in India-controlled Kashmir in 1989 and allied issues since, there has been little significant change in trade relations between the states, although recent developments in the last decade and a half are an indication of hope for mutually beneficial cooperation.The paper is divided into four parts. Part one deals with the need of developing countries like India and Pakistan for greater cooperation. Part two explains the issues hindering increased trade between them. The third part explains the historical and ongoing nature of economic interaction between India and Pakistan. The fourth part focuses on the prospects for better economic intercourse and presents some suggestions for the realization of full trade potential between these South Asian neighbors.