South Asia Challenges the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Author(s) : Ashfaq Ahmad, Zulfiqar Hussain

Abstract:

Primary focus of this paper is to test the hypothesis that India-Pakistan nuclear developments challenge the established norms of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). It aims to prove that despite the fact India-Pakistan, though are two different states their nuclear weapon programmes over the course of years have been tangled. Nuclear proliferation in South Asia reveals that how a determined state can acquire necessary fissile material, technology and knowhow to divert nuclear programme for developing nuclear weapons. South Asia enjoys unique status among students of strategic studies because it has become a laboratory to analyse, understand and draw lessons, from the region to overt future crises. Owing to prevailing trust deficit, mutual suspicions and turbulent India-Pakistan history, Pakistan fears Indian aggression and it is posed with security dilemma. Latter’s reliance on nuclear weapons create security dilemma for the former and provides breathing space for conventional and nuclear arms race. Efforts to match or outpace opponent military capabilities result in qualitative and quantitative improvements in nuclear realm. Pakistan’s reliance on nuclear weapons endorses realist dictum that self-help is the only recipe to survive in international anarchic system. Indian nuclear posture determines the fact that only nuclear weapons deter nuclear weapons. Causes of nuclear proliferation in South Asia need to be analyzed with their essential impact upon national security of India-Pakistan and their implication for the NPT.