In this episode of Sibling Rivalry, we look at how India and Pakistan came dangerously close to war between 1984 and 1987. From the battle for the icy heights of Siachen to the massive military mobilisation during Operation Brasstacks, tensions escalated as both sides struggled to read each other’s intentions. Pakistan’s nuclear warning raised the stakes even further, but an unexpected visit by General Zia-ul-Haq to watch a cricket match in Jaipur helped defuse the crisis. We explore how military ambition, nuclear brinkmanship and cricket diplomacy shaped the rivalry—and how these events helped set the stage for future conflicts, including Kargil.

Sources -

A History of the Pakistan Army - Brian Cloughley

Shooting for a Century - Stephen P. Cohen

Eating Grass - The Making of the Pakistani Bomb - Feroz Hassan Khan

From Kargil to the Coup - Events that shook Pakistan - Nashim Zehra

India-Pakistan in War & Peace - JN Dixit

General Brasstacks - Probal Dasgupta

#HistoryPodcast #IndiaPakistan #Zia #Siachen #Geopolitics #Strategy #Brasstacks1

History repeating itself is not a cliche. There is an eerie resemblance between the current state of affairs between US and Pakistan as it existed under General Zia. In this episode we explore these similarities, seeing how international events changed Pakistan's fortunes on both occasions.

Sources

Eating Grass - The Making of the Pakistani Bomb - Feroz Hassan Khan

Memories & Reflections Of A Pakistani Diplomat - Ḵẖān, Sult̤ān Muhammad

Pakistan's Drift into Extremism - Hassan Abbas

Politics In Pakistan- The Struggle For Legitimacy - Louis D Hayes

Memoirs of a Bystander - A Life in Diplomacy Iqbal Akhund

Working with Zia - Gen Khalid Mahmud Arif

#HistoryPodcast #IndiaPakistanWar #Geopolitics #Diplomacy #Zia #JimmyCarter #Reagan #Afghanistan #SovietUnion

At the peak of his power, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto promoted Zia above the heads of others and appointed him as the Pakistan Army Chief. It was a fatal mistake, because the so far servile Zia soon toppled his mentor. He went on to ensure Bhutto was executed and continued to rule for the next 11 years as the unchallenged dictator of Pakistan.

Sources -

The Struggle for Pakistan - Ayesha Jalal

Working with Zia - General Khalid Mahmud Arif

Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan- His Life & Times - Stanley Wolpert

A History of the Pakistan Army - Brian Cloughley

Eating Grass - The Making of the Pakistani Bomb - Feroz Hassan Khan

Memories & Reflections Of A Pakistani Diplomat - Ḵẖān, Sult̤ān Muhammad

#HistoryPodcast #IndiaPakistan #ZiaUlHaq #Bhutto #PakistanArmy #Geopolitics #SouthAsia