“The Spoilers of Pakistan”, India Narrative, March 05, 2026
“What are Spoilers, and Why Are They Always There?
As soon as anybody introduces the idea of peace in a certain conflict zone, there are those who have an interest in spoiling the very thought of it. And they will, by frustrating any peaceful intentions. They will harm the process, create chaos, or even use violence to visualize the futility of a process towards peace. These so-called spoilers will pop up. No matter what you do to motivate the people or the warring parties, however hard you try to invent solutions, to negotiate compromises, or to accommodate certain requests or ambitions. They frustrate the process because they profit in financial or other terms from the conditions of the conflict. Because they make money in weaponry, use chaotic, uncontrolled conditions to advance their profitable illegal trade, or, even more down to earth, because they do not know how to survive in any other way. For some, living under conflict-like situations is a `way of life`. For some, preventing peace is a full-scale political issue. Their political survival depends on the animosity towards `the other`. They need an enemy to have a foundation in the political arena. There are many examples. The `real IRA` is one of them, spoilers during the peace process in Northern Ireland, RENAMO is known for spoiling the peace process in Mozambique, and more recently, some factions within FARC didn`t want the peace process to succeed and continued the `luta`.
Dealing with spoilers is a very delicate affair. Because the spoilers may easily succeed in creating or raising popular opposition to any initiative to start a peace process. Spoilers reinforce the animosity that is evident during the conflict, and spoilers undermine the very trust that has to mature during the process towards peaceful coexistence. Giving in to spoilers may be seen as a sign of weakness, and ignoring their signals may aggravate the very root cause of a conflict. That is why there is no realistic, one-size-fits-all recipe for success. Every conflict is different, and the motives of the peace makers, as well as the motives of the spoilers, need to be unveiled in every specific situation.
What are the Specifics in the India-Pakistan Case?
The most evident attempt to spoil the initiative to create peaceful relations between India and Pakistan was the horrible Mumbai attacks. After the Agra summit in 2001 and the peace bus in 2004, a thaw was setting in, defrosting the frozen relations between the two countries. Two countries that went through some serious conflicts. But the detente was not in the interest of some players. The links between the attackers and certain actors in the intel services and military circles in Pakistan is well described and documented[1]. India obviously demanded the arrest and the handing over of the terrorists for them to be brought to justice. And the Indian government launched a diplomatic offensive aimed at isolating Pakistan. Relations between India and Pakistan soured. The spoilers had their way…….”
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