National space governance in Pakistan: Insights from India and UK

Outer space legislation has now become one of the foundations of modern space governance as national space legislation rapidly becomes commercialized, privatized and deployed strategically. This article conducts a doctrinal and comparative study of the fragmented space law of Pakistan in reference to international requirements, against the backdrop of India and the United Kingdom. It puts domestic regulation in the United Nations space treaty framework with an accent on state responsibility, liability, and the obligation to license and constantly monitor national space operations. India is compared as a regional and developmental comparator that has an emerging regulatory framework, and the United Kingdom is a mature and treaty-adherent and market-driven model. The article uses a comparative legislative matrix to identify normative gaps, weaknesses of institutions and risks of the regulatory vacuum in Pakistan. Based on comparative lessons related to licensing, insurance, commercialisation, security and sustainability, the article promotes the framework of the Pakistani Space Activities Act.