ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to assess the impact of the end of the Cold War on the Indo-Pakistani nuclear competition. It explores two interrelated hypotheses: that regional security is the product of both international and regional factors and that the end of the Cold War creates the possibility of establishing a bilateral Indo-Pakistani nonproliferation regime and, eventually, a nuclear weapon-free zone in South Asia (NWFZSA). A NWFZ in South Asia would help to create an atmosphere of trust between India and Pakistan. During the Cold War, it was very difficult to adopt a regional approach to the Indo-Pakistani conflict while the superpowers were competing for hegemony in Southwest Asia and South Asia. The implementation of a NWFZ treaty may conflict with international norms, such as the right of innocent passage of nuclear-armed vessels through territorial waters, or the "freedom of navigation" on the high seas. The key issue is the role of nuclear weapons in international relations in the twenty-first century.
