Nuclear war between India and Pakistan? Top official says such a scenario cannot be ruled out

A top Pakistani official has warned that a nuclear war in South Asia cannot be ruled out underscoring the delicate security situation prevailing in some parts of the region.

The country's National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua has said special efforts are to be taken in order prevent a nuclear conflict in the region like South Asia and added such a scenario is only a "mistake away".

"The stability of the South Asian region hangs in a delicate balance, and the possibility of nuclear war cannot be ruled out," said the top Pakistani authority in Islamabad as he was addressing a seminar on Monday, 18 December.

"India has been stockpiling a range of dangerous weapons, as it threatens Pakistan continuously of conventional warfare," he added in the conference titled "National Security Policy – Vision for Pakistan". The event was organised by an independent Pakistani thinktank, Centre for Global and Strategic Studies, which is headquartered in the Pakistani capital.

The Pakistani official went on to say that the US is siding with India in regional matters and this kind of influence will only deteriorate the situation. "As part of its policy to counter Chinese influence in South Asia, the US is conspiring against China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) along with the Indians. The US-India alliance has an identical stance on the Kashmir issue, and America frequently gives India preference over Pakistan," said Janjua.

Pakistan and India, both nuclear-armed rivals, have a long-running dispute on multiple security-related matters and territorial claims. Tensions have escalated between the neighbours in recent months over repeated cross-border violations and infiltrations while both sides blame the other for making the situation more volatile.

Security forces of both the countries are increasingly putting a 14-year-old ceasefire agreement under tremendous pressure. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars since their independence from Britain in 1947. Two of the conflicts were centred in the disputed valley of Kashmir.