Nuclear Testing Rocks the Sub-Continent: Can International Law Halt the Impending Nuclear Conflict between India and Pakistan

The nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998 have given rise to a concern that the historic conflict over Kashmir might suddenly erupt into a war involving nuclear weapons. This Note evaluates the relationship between the testing and the development of nuclear weapons under international law. It analyzes two aspects of international law that prohibit the future testing and development of nuclear weapons: (1) customary international law and (2) traditional and new customary international environmental law. This Note concludes by pointing out that the nations that will acquire nuclear capabilities in the near future may not have the ability to control their arsenals