ABSTRACT
Nuclearization of South Asia has not only shaken the foundations of the existing non-proliferation regime, it has raised the spectre of a catastrophic nuclear war between India and Pakistan, resulting from miscalculations, misperceptions, misinterpretation of intelligence information, false warnings or accidents. Given a long history of mistrust and hostility, accentuated by the festering dispute over Kashmir, the prophets of doom can find all the ingredients for an impending disaster. Small wonder then that South Asia has often been characterized as a nuclear flashpoint and the most likely venue for a nuclear exchange. The situation, therefore, demands a dispassionate and objective analysis of the peculiar dynamics of the emerging nuclear deterrent equation in South Asia, which distinguish it from the traditional Cold War models. However, before attempting to address the issue it would be appropriate to study its background and historical context in order to place it in the right perspective.
