Friday, 10 April 2015

Arm race between India and Pakistan and its impacts on strategic instability in South Asia

Introduction
The  arms race is a competition for supremacy in nuclear non nuclear weapon between the the two or more than two countries .In this  regarding , South Asia is the flashpoint of the world due to the arm race between India and Pakistan.
The South Asia has always been very important region in the world due to its sensitive geographical location. India and Pakistan are two major countries of this region, which came into being in the year of 1947 as a result of the division of Sub-Continent .Both countries have strong affect on south Asia,  Both India and Pakistan  had never been cordial relationship with each other because of various issues. There had always  been a suspicion, hatred and distrust kind of situation between them . since 1947 Tense and hostile situation has been existing between these two countries, as a result of which both faced  three wars and various crises and disputes between them ,and that’s why there is trend of arm race from both sides.[1] The two long-time South Asian rivals, are engaged in the world's most active nuclear arms race  . In May 1998, both India and Pakistan had tested their nuclear devices and the region as a result of South Asia became a nuclear flashpoint.[2] Although Pakistan and India are two traditional hostile countries but both have also solved many disputes through negotiation and still having agreements peace talks to resolve different issues. But the tens and suspensions and mistrust is existing  on both sides. As a major Nuclear powers of  South Asia, both have strong influence on region and both countries does strongly mater in the stability and instability of the region.
Historical Background
Pakistan and India have always been found in hostile situations sense independence. The two countries have always been found to be engaged with some kind of disputes. Due to these kinds of situations the two countries face three major wars. South Asia became a nuclear flashpoint when the two rivals succeeded to be nuclear power in 1998
In South Asia, India and Pakistan have been engaged in a technological nuclear arms race since the 1970s. The nuclear competition started in 1974 with India detonating the device, codename Smiling Buddha, at the Pokhran region of the Rajasthan state. The Indian government termed this test as a "peaceful nuclear explosion", but according to independent sources, it was actually part of an accelerated covert nuclear program of India.
This test generated great concern and doubts in Pakistan, with fear it would be at the mercy of its long–time arch rival. Pakistan had its own covert atomic bomb projects in 1972 which extended over many years since the first Indian weapon was detonated. After the 1974 test, Pakistan's atomic bomb program picked up a great speed and accelerated its atomic project to successfully build its own atomic weapons program. In the last few decades of the 20th century, India and Pakistan began to develop nuclear-capable rockets and nuclear military technologies. Finally, in 1998 India, under Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, test detonated 5 more nuclear weapons. While the international response to the detonation was muted, domestic pressure within Pakistan began to build steam and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the test, detonated 6 nuclear war weapons in a tit-for-tat fashion and to act as a deterrent.
Research Questions
·         Is there any chance of a nuclear conflict breaking out in South Asia after the overt nuclearization of India and Pakistan ?.
·         What are the factors that keep India and Pakistan from stopping or reversing its nuclear weapon program?.
·         How arm race between India and Pakistan can effect the strategic instability in South Asia?.
·         Is there any way to put an end to the arm race between the two countries ?.
·         What are the benefits and drawbacks of arm race for the both countries ?.
Objectives
The objectives of this paper is to analyze the nature of the arm race between India and Pakistan, and to find out the causes and drawbacks and benefits  of arm race .to examine the strategic instability in South Asia due to the arms race between India and Pakistan, and to find out any possible solution to bring out the both countries of this madness of arm race
Research methodology
For this paper work I will mostly collect data from concern books. I will also collect data from journals, magazines, news papers , and related article and research papers. For this research work I will also get help from internet by searching different related websites. Interviews of concern doctors and professors of Peshawar University and other universities will also be included in this paper work. I will also get help of my class fellows and friends and family members in collecting related materials and will get suggestions regarding to the research work.     
Literature review
The topic: (Arm race between India and Pakistan and its implication on strategic instability of south Asia) has been discussed by many writers. A very famous Indian writer (Dhumitra Chakma) has put light on arm race between India and Pakistan and its Effects on south Asia very briefly. In his book (south Asia’s nuclear security) he examined the internal and external causes and consequences of nuclear arm race between the two countries and its effects on south Asia, In his another book (strategic dynamics nuclear weapons proliferation in south Asia) he analyse that India and Pakistan’s decision to go nuclear against the odds of nuclear non-proliferation treaty based nuclear order. It reflects upon the factors that contributed to, and the process that prompted India and Pakistan’s nuclear programs to take a military orientation, which eventually culminated in the May, 1998 nuclear tests. It also explains the situation which underscored both India and Pakistan’s determination to advance nuclear postures in 1998 that appeared to be inconsistent with the post cold war global strategic involvement. Further his book explains why international and regional nuclear non proliferation regimes were effective and preventing India and Pakistan from going nuclear.
Although he did not discussed that wither the to countries go for can go for nuclear war or not  ? ,and is there any possibility to bring arm race to an end. But the work is still well enough for the related topic and very useful.
Suggested books
1)      Chakma,Bhumitra.(Dec 2014).South Asia nuclear security.2 park squre UK:Routledge publishers.
2)      Perkovich,George.(1999).India’s nuclear bomb:The impact on global proliferation.New Delhi India:Oxford university press.
3)      Shahi,Agha.(1988).Pakistan’s security and foreign policy. publishers Zaildar inhhra Lahor Pakistan:Progressive  publishers.
Journals
1)      Dalton, Toby.(2012).Understanding the arm race in South Asia.Washington,D.C:Carnegie Endowment for international peace publications department.
2)      Strategic stability in South Asia with Brig(R)Feroz Hassan Khan.
News papers
Syed,sajjad.(Jan 30,2015).Sartaj sees arm race in South Asia after India-US agreement.DAWN.
Ali, Iftikhar.(Nov 24,2014).Pakistan-India nuclear arm race unabated.The Nation.
  

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