POLITICAL ECONOMY OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN’S NATIONAL RESPONSES TO COVID-19: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a non-traditional security threat that exposed state capacities globally, presenting complex challenges for political leaders managing twin crises. A notable trend observed in South Asia that the damage control and pandemic management was better in Pakistan compared to India, despite differing material attributes. This study aims to provide a balanced understanding of why Pakistan fared better than India by analysing their policy choices, socio-economic considerations and political restraints on state decision-making capacity. Using the ‘An Enhanced State Capacity Framework’, the article argues that it is not merely economic wealth but political control over resource management by top-tier political actors in crisis situations that matters more.