When India and Pakistan first tested their nuclear bombs in the 1970s and later went nuclear in 1998, the international community tightened norms and guidelines of Non-Proliferation to prevent other states from gaining the same status. During the Bush-era, however, India-specific agreements in which "reprocessingg and enrichment facilities, research reactors, and heavy water facilities" were left out of the separation design, raising serious reservations from Pakistan and a few other nations due to beliefs that India would aggressively pursue its nuclear program and offer only the obsolete to the IAEA safeguards. As India poses to become an economic hub and a viable counter-balance to China, it is argued that Pakistan is left behind, facing discriminatory policies concerning nuclear proliferation. Click here to read more. - Manal |