Threat of nuclear war between Pakistan-India remains: NYT

WASHINGTON: The New York Times on Thursday claimed that a threat of nuclear war between Pakistan and India still remains.

The situation between the neighbouring countries turned hostile in a tit-for-tat airstrikes following the Pulwama attack that killed over 40 Indian troops in occupied Kashmir on Feb 14.

In an opinion piece, the NYT’s editorial board has emphasised that although the Indo-Pak tensions have deescalated, for now, the threat of nuclear armed clash between the two countries still persists.

Regardless, the board stressed that “this relative calm is not a solution”. It noted that Islamabad and New Delhi were “long among the world’s most antagonistic neighbors” and that it was fortunate they found “the good sense to de-escalate”.

The NYT hinted at the prior escalations and spats between the two neighbouring South Asian nations and said it was in this light that the countries “maintain a near-constant state of military readiness along their border and have little formal government-to-government dialogue”.

Read more: China making effort to facilitate talks between Pakistan, India

“As long as India and Pakistan refuse to deal with their core dispute — the future of Kashmir — they face unpredictable, possibly terrifying, consequences,” it said.

“But the United States needs to get involved. … the United States should be ready to assist if they cannot,” it added.