ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the fundamental Indo-Pakistani differences over nuclear matters and Kashmir, and their prospects for resolution. It addresses the nuclear question. The chapter focuses on the evolution of nuclear proliferation in South Asia, the present state of the Indo-Pakistani nuclear competition, and the policy disagreements that divide New Delhi and Islamabad. Special attention is paid to the political interplay between the militants in Kashmir and the governments in New Delhi and Islamabad. The chapter looks at the interaction between the Kashmir and nuclear issues, particularly in regards to the possibility of nuclear war between India and Pakistan. The nuclear arms competition between Pakistan and India is the logical culmination of a chain reaction of nuclear proliferation rooted in the Second World War. The official Indian and Pakistani positions on nuclear proliferation can be viewed in the context of the evolution of international nonproliferation norms since the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968.
