WASHINGTON, August 25: Kashmir could provide the spark that lights South Asia’s nuclear fuse, warns a report by United States-based think tank Stratfor.
The report highlights the “specter of nuclear war” looming over tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India, which have spiked since New Delhi’s illegal revocation of Indian Occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) special status.
It states that the possibility of the conflict going nuclear increased after India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a veiled threat of nuclear war in the region. Although Singh did not name any country, it is understood the threat was directed at Pakistan.
The report states that if Pakistan and India use nuclear weapons, it would be the first use in war since the US destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
It also disagreed with the view that Kashmir is “India’s internal affair” or even a “bilateral issue between India and Pakistan”.
The report mentions Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts to protect the Muslim-majority IOK and seek support from the international community, including fellow Muslim leaders.-Agencies
