TURBAT: Nuclear weapons have the power to decimate entire cities in the blink of an eye. Only eight countries – the UK, the US, Russia, France, China, India, Pakistan and North Korea — have declared that they possess nuclear weapons, whereas Israel is believed to possess them but has never declared so.
Whenever relations between India and Pakistan become tense, security experts worry that the situation might escalate to an allout nuclear war. However, the capacity of the nukes is such that even if one is deployed, neither of the countries will survive due to the impact it would have. The Indian Prime Minister, Modi, keeps making provocative statements, while our Prime Minister deals with these remarks prudently. He always sends out a message of peace and asks for the Kashmir issue to be resolved through dialogue, as we are all aware of the impact the nuclear bombs had in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War. An estimated 90,000 to 146,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and 39,000 to 80,000 in Nagasaki. Following the gruesome decimation, the after-effects of radiation are still felt in these regions as numerous babies have been born with birth defects and many have developed cellular mutation as well. The impact of nuclear bombs is estimated to be much worse if it is used in the subcontinent, due to the location and population density of the countries. Both countries should mutually disarm as these weapons serve no good. There will be no winner or loser if nuclear weapons are used in a war.
Rahmat Shafique
Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2019.
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