ABSTRACT

It is not only the conflict between India and Pakistan that is shaping the future of South Asia. The Kashmir conflict is one of the main reasons for India's inability to develop more rapidly, both socially and economically, and the reason for the fact that Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world whose economic development has gone into reverse. Within another decade people will see the fall of the Wall—in all probability a new cold war between China and the US. The Indian programme is greater in scope, more sophisticated and incorporates more of its own technology. The short-distance Prithvi missile can carry nuclear weapons and has high precision using the global positioning system (GPS). The reason for India's strong investment in its nuclear weapons programme was primarily the threat from ChinaThe relationship between the US and Pakistan will probably only last as long as the US wants to solve more pressing problems in Afghanistan.