An external confrontation can serve an internal purpose: keeping those in power beyond scrutiny.
Dr. Siegfried O. Wolf examines this connection through Pakistan’s “Three Ds” of foreign engagement: Delay India’s international advance, Distract from domestic governance failures and Discredit New Delhi abroad. His analysis links disputes over Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty to the interests of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
For European policymakers, the challenge is to distinguish legitimate grievances from efforts to prolong confrontation. Whose interests does a diplomatic narrative serve—and does international attention help resolve the underlying problem?
Wolf presents a framework for examining individual cases, rather than assuming every Pakistani initiative follows a coordinated strategy. His central invitation is to assess claims on their evidence and legal merits while examining the domestic power structures behind them.
Read Pakistan’s “Three Ds” of Foreign Engagement, by Dr. Siegfried O. Wolf.
Understanding South Asia. Connecting Europe.
