THE HORRIFYING prospect - indeed, reality - of a nuclear arms race taking place on the already-volatile Indian subcontinent is one to which the international community must respond with determination.

For though the "how" of this dangerous departure is a matter of huge concern, far greater is the "if" of it spilling over into conflict.

That threat must be stemmed by strong and potent application of the admonitory political and economic pressure that is already mounting internationally.

This must happen so that sanity prevails and the two newest members of the declared nuclear weapons states are swiftly forced into membership of the test ban and non-proliferation treaties.

Endemic chauvinism in India and Pakistan - fuelled by three wars between these nations since partition in 1947 and added to by a politicised religious divide - has led to this perilous game of nuclear snap.

Now that Pakistan has followed the five Indian nuclear tests 18 days ago with the detonation of five of its own nuclear devices, the risk of that chauvinism escalating into nuclear conflict is too great. For the concerns are not only the safety of the people of these two uncomfortable neighbours and the need to prevent any spread of political unrest beyond their borders, but also the necessity of deterring other potential nuclear weapons states from seeking membership and making the world even more unsafe.

Pakistan will have to suffer equally from the economic sanctions that America and the EU imposed in the wake of India's nuclear tests.

The United Nations must also orchestrate world-wide political and economic pressure against India and Pakistan and it must be so severe that their citizens and governments - and those of other countries similarly inclined - are made to realise that boasting nuclear weapons capacity is not worth the hardship that the sanctions convey.

Sadly, many innocent people - particularly the millions of poor people in both countries - will suffer greatly as a result.

But it is only through that and the political pressure that it will generate domestically that their leaders can be made to see sense and turn their backs on an arms race and war-mongering.

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