Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

  • Policy Issues
    • Fact Sheets
    • Countries
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Non-Proliferation
    • Nuclear Security
    • Biological & Chemical Weapons
    • Defense Spending
    • Missile Defense
    • No First Use
  • Nukes of Hazard
    • Podcast
    • Blog
    • Videos
  • Join Us
  • Press
  • About
    • Staff
    • Boards & Experts
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Search
You are here: Home / Asia / Op-ed: Move Over, Kim Jong Un: It’s Time to Talk about South Asia

September 9, 2019

Op-ed: Move Over, Kim Jong Un: It’s Time to Talk about South Asia

Program Assistant Abby Pokraka wrote an op-ed in The National Interest on why people should focus more on the potential for nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan.

“With India’s provocative abolition of the constitutional provision that guarantees Kashmir’s autonomy, tensions between India and Pakistan have once again soared to dangerous heights. This follows an intense military clash in February, which saw Indian and Pakistani planes bomb targets inside each other’s territory and over forty Indian paramilitary troopers dead following a violent ambush. While this recent escalation has not yet led to direct military conflict, the question that should be on the minds of world leaders is what would keep a conventional conflict between these two nuclear weapons states from escalating into a nuclear war?

Territorial disputes over Kashmir have led to two major Indo-Pakistani wars. The two states have maintained a fragile peace since 2003, but regularly exchange fire across theLine of Control. The most recent incident in February 2019 saw forty members of India’s paramilitary forces dead after an attack on their convoy in Pulwama. A Pakistani militant group claimed responsibility for the attack—the deadliest in Kashmir in three decades. In retaliation, India conducted airstrikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistani territory, who returned fire on India-controlled Kashmir a day later.

Ankit Panda, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, pointed out that this was the first time in history that “conventional airpower [was used] by a nuclear power against another nuclear power.” Tensions continued to rise when Pakistan shot down an Indian aircraft and captured a pilot. As a way to avoid a military confrontation, Pakistan released the pilot within days, and tensions relaxed.

But things could have easily been much worse.” Read more

Posted in: Asia, Center in the News, India and Pakistan, Press Room

Tweets by Nukes of Hazard

Recent Posts

  • What’s in a Name? January 25, 2023
  • ‘ARMS CONTROL MATTERS’: STATEMENT ON SETTING THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK TO 90 SECONDS TIL MIDNIGHT January 24, 2023
  • Putin’s Military Strategy Ignores Key Principles of War: Ukraine Adviser January 13, 2023
  • Protecting Against Disaster – The Need for a Security Assurance at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant January 6, 2023
  • 10 Thoughts for 2023 January 5, 2023
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

820 1st Street NE, Suite LL-180
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.546.0795

Issues

  • Fact Sheets
  • Countries
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Non-Proliferation
  • Nuclear Security
  • Defense Spending
  • Biological and Chemical Weapons
  • Missile Defense
  • No First Use

Countries

  • China
  • France
  • India and Pakistan
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom

Explore

  • Nukes of Hazard blog
  • Nukes of Hazard podcast
  • Nukes of Hazard videos
  • Front and Center
  • Fact Sheets

About

  • About
  • Meet the Staff
  • Boards & Experts
  • Press
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Council for a Livable World
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2023 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Privacy Policy

Charity Navigator GuideStar Seal of Transparency