Nuclear Proliferation: India and Pakistan

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Beginning of Nuclear Proliferation in India and Pa

Nuclear Proliferation in India and Pakistan:

  • India and Pakistan were seperate states in 1948.
  • Nuclear vertical proliferation meant that more nuclear weapons were becoming available to more and more states, especially developing states.
  • This was due to the rise in technology and rising economies of the devloping states (industrial revolution).
  • India built its first nuclear device in 1974
  • Pakistan tested their long-range missile in 1989.
  • Nuclear weapons spreading to India and Pakistan created a BALANCE OF POWER.
    • This is because there has always been an underlining conflict between the 2 states, so they will less liely to go to war now as they both have nuclear capacity.
    • Evident in 1988, when India and Pakistan signed an agreement not to attack eachother's nuclear facilities.
    • This created balance of power.
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India and Pakistan in the 1990s

The arms race between India and Pakistan dramatically escalated in the 1990s:

  • This is because in May 1998, India conducted underground nuclear tests in the western desert state of Rajasthan, near Pakistan.
    • Therefore, it seemed that India was ignoring the agreement signed in 1988.
  • In response, Pakistan conducted 6 tests in Baluchistan near India.
  • The 2 states were both criticized by the international community, for their conflict, due to fear of nuclear confrontation (just like the COld War).
    • E.g. The UN Security Council condemned them for the tests and urged them to stop all nuclear programmes.
  • As a result, the USA and Japan froze foreign aid, loans and trade to India and Pakistan.
  • Therefore, the relationship between India and Pakistan in 1999 began to improve, as they signed the Lahore accord.
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