India and Pakistan were divided 76 years ago, but there remain outstanding financial claims between the two nations due to asset division. When the British Empire divided the countries, Lord Radcliffe drew the lines on a map but the division of assets was a much more difficult negotiation. Assets ranged from moveable ones, such as office furniture and lightbulbs, to personnel, with government departments, defence forces and the central bank requiring careful division. Even today, both countries still claim the other owes them money, stemming from disagreements over payment of outstanding balances.
Key transboundary rivers, like the Indus and the Brahmaputra, rise from Chinese-controlled territory, giving China a major locus standi. This power vacuum will inevitably lead to a greater role by China in managing hydro diplomacy in South Asia.