ABSTRACT
The nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May 1998 shook the region and challenged the near-global consensus on non-proliferation. Attempts to deal with the consequences of the tests are inseparable from the history of nuclear developments in both India and Pakistan. There are deep contradictions between international demands on India and Pakistan and the situation as it currently stands Third-party involvement risks making matters worse, rather than better, and there can be no 'quick-fix' The international community faces two related dilemmas: inducing India and Pakistan to cooperate in non-proliferation efforts without legitimising their possession of nuclear weapons and further undermining existing non-proliferation agreements; and reducing the risks surrounding nuclear weapons without assisting in their development. This chapter explores what should be done to mitigate the potentially dangerous effects of the presence of nuclear weapons on the subcontinent.
