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Introduction -- The Joint Chamber -- The lay of the land: the actors and their preferences -- Current cross-LoC trade -- The challenges ahead: looking beyond the current trade regime -- The way forward: making the Joint Chamber deliver -- Conclusion.

When in early 2012 Pakistan touted a major shift in its Afghan policy, the move was cautiously welcomed given the influence, and spoiling power, Pakistan has displayed in Afghanistan in the past. This paper asks exactly what Pakistan's 'strategic shift' entails, what are the motives behind it, and whether it opens any new opportunities for peace in Afghanistan.

"Shortly after entering office at the end of 2014, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani embarked on a bold but controversial policy of sustained conciliation toward Pakistan, with the goal of securing greater cooperation in securing a comprehensive peace with the Afghan Taliban and integrating Afghanistan into the regional economies. Pakistan's tepid response to date, however, has left Ghani politically vulnerable, with his opponents attacking his outreach effort. Time is of the essence. Without meaningful actions soon from Pakistan and robust support from the international community, especially China, the initiative is likely to collapse, with devastating results for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the broader region"--Publisher's web site.

India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons in 1998, declaring their respective capabilities to the world for the first time. With the tests came tremendous global attention which required a responsible and mature response from both sides. Twelve years on, one is compelled to accept significant progress in terms of ensuring stable deterrence. Much of this however is attributable to individual actions by both sides. Mutual cooperation has been sluggish; this, by itself, implies a suboptimal state as far as strategic stability is concerned. It is a misnomer for geographically contiguous nuclear powers to believe that the nuclear environment can be truly stable without active collaboration with the adversary aimed at minimizing risks. Indeed, as many continue to highlight, the stakes are simply too high for the nuclear aspect to be held hostage to the overall state of the Pakistan-India relationship. Yet, this is precisely what these two South Asian powers are guilty of. This security brief analyzes the state of strategic stability in South Asia. The ingredients of stable deterrence are highlighted and Pakistan and India's progress towards this ideal is evaluated. Practical recommendations for enhancing stability are presented subsequently. These can be taken up in future track-I or track-II deliberations.