Pakistan IEA Relations, A Game Theory Perspective

Abstract

In ancient Greece Armies, before going to war, used to pay respect to Athena, who was the Greek goddess of wisdom, strategy, and warfare. The Athenians believed that Athena would offer them strategic guidance and protect them in battle. In contrast, Ares, who was the god of war and bloodlust was ignored. The Athenians believed that invoking Ares would bring them victory, but at the cost of more bloodshed and brutality. Therefore, they preferred wisdom from Athena because historical experience had taught them that war is won primarily with wisdom, whereas emotionalism and bloodlust only result in a Pyrrhic victory. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan has experienced a high level of terrorist violence and attacks for many years, including before and after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The violence in KPK is primarily linked to the ongoing conflict between the Pakistani government and various militant groups, including TTP and other extremist organizations. Although the US withdrawal from Afghanistan may have some impact on the situation in KPK, it is not the sole cause of the violence there. The conflict in KPK has deep roots, including historical grievances, ethnic and sectarian tensions, and ongoing struggles over political power and resources. In recent years, the Pakistani government has taken steps to address the violence in KPK, including increased military operations and efforts to promote peace talks with militant groups. However, the situation in the province remains volatile, and ongoing violence and instability continue to pose a significant challenge. Multipolarity in the global order is becoming visible day by day. China and Russia are coordinating policies and are working together to replace the US-dominated global order. Central and Euro Asia are strategically very important to competing powers. This has restarted a great game in the region in which Pakistan and Afghanistan are on one side victims and on the other are getting pitched against each other.  Due to the surge in terrorism, the Pakistani establishment is being forced to launch /target TTP positions in Afghanistan. Taliban who are themselves under pressure due to the financial crisis coupled with ISKP attacks are not taking any action against TTP. In this essay, we will use Game Theory and the prisoner dilemma model to find out what can be the best policy for Pakistan to achieve its objectives.