The Price of PowerComparative Analysis of Militarization’s Economic Effects in India and Pakistan

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze, from a critical perspective, the economic cost of militarization in South Asia with a particular emphasis on intra-area comparisons of India and Pakistan. With a historical context and security in mind, both countries over allocate to defense programs as this takes resources that could have been used for economic and social advancement. By collecting data from the year 2000 up to 2023, the research settles the disputes between deployment of funds for militarization and other sectors like education, health services and infrastructure development. It demonstrates that militarization although potentially eliminating immediate dangers, could come at a greater economic cost-targeted investment areas are sub-optimally addressed leading to poor humanitarian and development prospects for the region. The paper offers some implications advocating strategic direction as well as resource applications in a manner that secures the achievement of both militaristic and economic sustainable goals.