So what would happen in an Indo-Pakistan nuclear war?

I've seen this bought up at times, though at the times I've seen it it was just mentioned for a brief moment and never mentioned again.

So, let's think for a moment and wonder what would happen in an Indo-Pakistan nuclear war. It nearly happened three times:

Kargil War, 1999: Great way to destroy the innocence of the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

2001 Indian parliament attack and 2001-2002 skirmishes: Three months after 9/11 and after Pakistan joins on as an ally to the US against the Taliban, the 2001 Indian parliament attack put both nations on high alert, and for a time there were skirmishes. If a nuclear war happens it would shake up the world still trying to get over 9/11.

2008: After the Mumbai bombings India was put on high alert. Some prank caller/idiot thought that it would be hilarious to pretend to be the Indian External Affairs minister and threaten the Pakistani government. The Pakistani government was put on high alert and a nuclear war could had happened, all because of a stupid buffoon.

So, what would be the aftermath of nuclear war if it had happened in 1999, 2001/2002 or 2008?
 
I somehow doubt the human race would still
be around, as the way the world was IOTL
in the late 20th century such a conflict would
most likely have swelled into WWIII and.....
 

Wimble Toot

Banned
Best case scenario; gigantic humanitarian disaster. Millions dying or dead.

Worst case scenario; Global Thermonuclear War. Hundreds of millions dying or dead.

Pakistan ceases to exist, one way or another.
 

Archibald

Banned
Millions of people dies, for a start.
I wonder if such a war would screw global climate - would it cool the climate, would the ozone layer take a hit ? Also radioactivity.
Three months after 2001 ? worlwide morale would sink to the depth.
The human race would survive (this is no Cold War with 50 000 nukes) but that would be the worse crisis since WWII.
 
As bad as a Pakistani-Indian war would be, what would happen if the Chinese were dragged into it?

If India tries to nuke China, then the Eastern and Southern parts of India that Pakistani missiles can't reach would be annihilated by the Chinese. Though if the war happened at the turn of the century, China would get off pretty lightly since India would not have longrange missiles to strike China's major cities in the East. At most, we'd see Indian nuclear strikes in Xinjiang and Tibet. If it happened a few later, then China's eastern cities would be targeted, making the outcome even worse.
 
Pakistan what flowers would you like during your funeral

India you have a big gash on your chest ooh is that we're Pakistan nuked everything from Delhi and the Pakistani border to hell

China why is your foot in bandages oh yeah that's we're Lhasa and Xiang got nuked isn't it.

USA why are you in a corner crying.
 

Ak-84

Banned
One of the stupidest timelines there is. With little or no understanding of the political economic and military realities. Not to mention terrain. They decided to denude Lahore (plains) to beef up Kashmir (big fucking mountains)? Seriously? Armoured and Mechanised Forces are no use in the Himalaya's, and it would take months to train and covert them........man forgive me, its actually the stupidest TL there ever has been.

As for the OP, whats your POD? The 1980's; then nukes are just a very rotten cherry on top. The 1990's we started seeing the tens to hundreds of millions killed. In 2000 onwarf; well its MAD and chances of Global Thermonuclear War if China gets dragged in.

By the wat, I have to say I am quite amused that some people think that India will survive. Yes, the complete destruction of industrial and transport infratstuture. that even a few dozen nukes would entail would still allow India to survive. I mean its not like this huge population is predicated on the existance of said infrastructure.
 
As for the OP, whats your POD? The 1980's; then nukes are just a very rotten cherry on top. The 1990's we started seeing the tens to hundreds of millions killed. In 2000 onwarf; well its MAD and chances of Global Thermonuclear War if China gets dragged in.
Would India even use nuclear weapons without Pakistan having one given they only got them in late 1990s
 

Ak-84

Banned
Would India even use nuclear weapons without Pakistan having one given they only got them in late 1990s
Pakistan had nukes in the early 80's at the latest. Nukes were tested in 1998, in response to Indian Tests, but that was a political and diplomatic, not a technical, requirement.
India's nukes were primarily meant for the Chinese.
Indian nukes were basically for dick measuring; "look how important and advanced we are". Between 1974 and the mid to late 80's they made no progress on weaponisation of their ability and had only rudimentary ability even in the 1990's. Of course, even a dozen to a score of "warheads" that they had, deliverable by aircraft, would have been very bad for Pakistan. But in the 1970's, nuclear ability was seen as a political and diplomatic, rather than a military; tool. Pakistan's calculus changed with the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan. Pakistan needed an actual, rather than potential arsenal; as in a first day of war type of munition. The sudden establisheent of a deliverable arsenal in Pakistan drove India to match Pakistan, but India then extremely lousy economy hampered them.
 
I wonder if such a war would screw global climate - would it cool the climate, would the ozone layer take a hit ? Also radioactivity.

We tested above ground far more nukes than the entire Indo-Pak nuclear arsenal and nothing bad happened. All the dust kicked up by the ruins of cities and such might have some effect on the world climate however, but far less than something like Mount Pinatubo. Radioactivity is only a problem in the immediate area of the blasts.
 

Ak-84

Banned
No one has tested hundreds of nukes on population centers at the same time. There is a big difference between testing one at a time in the desert, steppes or the mid ocean versus several hundred nukes going off with half an hour.
 
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