No relationship has been as complex and so difficult to manage as India's relations with Pakistan. Four wars, cross-border terrorism, and Pakistan's persistent hostility and relentless campaign on "Kashmir issue" have been a source of strategic challenge for every Indian leader. Yet, each has pursued peace in the interest of India's progress and security with differing strategies, but with the same result.

As a diplomat who served around the world and in Pakistan, the late Satinder Kumar Lambah's unique position helps tell an insider's story of the turbulent history between India and Pakistan. He writes of his personal experiences of India-Pakistan relations having served six Indian Prime Ministers, whom he worked directly with and offered counsel. This includes his role as Prime Minister's Special Envoy for back-channel talks under PM Manmohan Singh and India's quick diplomatic moves in the post-Taliban Afghanistan. With insight, he also traces the roots of Pakistan's evolution since its birth and the challenges its army-driven polity poses for India and reflects on the way forward in dealing with Pakistan to secure peace in the region.