The claim has been made in a research paper which has been released at a time when tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are at an all-time high over Kashmir. The claim has been made in a research paper. Study claims such a conflict would lead to global starvation and cooling. Sunlight could be blocked for a decade in the aftermath of such a war

New Delhi: A research paper released on Wednesday has predicted that a future nuclear war between India and Pakistan could immediately wipe out 100 million (10 crore) people from Earth. The researchers looked at a scenario circa 2025 and predicted that an India-Pak nuclear conflict would trigger global starvation and cooling on the planet.

To compare, between 75 and 80 million people had lost their lives during World War II.

The scenario: In the year 2025, terrorists attack the Indian Parliament and kill most of the MPs. In retaliation, India sends tanks into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. A panicked Pakistan responds by using battlefield nuclear weapons on the Indian forces, triggering history’s deadliest war.

Megatons of thick black smoke released by the nuclear bombs block out sunlight and trigger catastrophic global cooling. Temperatures recorded in the aftermath of the conflict match those seen during the last Ice Age. And global mass starvation follows the war, with sunlight not visible for upto a decade, a report by news agency AFP said.

The research paper has been released at a time when tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours are at an all-time high. The trigger has been India’s recent decisions on Kashmir.

At the start of August, the Indian government announced a move to revoke Kashmir’s special status, by abrogation of Article 370. It also got legislation passed through Parliament to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

Pakistan has termed India’s move “illegal” and has been trying to raise the issue at all possible global forums. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan devoted most of his recent speech at the annual United Nations General Assembly to Kashmir, while also warning that the tensions could escalate into a nuclear war. However, the country has failed to win much support on the issue except from its all-weather ally China and some Muslim nations.

India has categorically stated that Kashmir is an “internal matter” and Pakistan must refrain from intervening. A majority of the countries, including the US and Russia, have backed India over its decisions on Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the report said India and Pakistan currently have about 150 nuclear warheads each. It is predicted that the number could rise to over 200 by 2025.

"Unfortunately it's timely because India and Pakistan remain in conflict over Kashmir, and every month or so you can read about people dying along the border," Alan Robock, a professor in environmental sciences at Rutgers University, who co-authored the paper in Science Advances, told AFP.

It may be recalled here that India has long followed a "No-First Use" policy on nuclear weapons by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has gone on record to say that any future policy would depend on circumstances.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has no such policy and is on record to say that it would only nuclear weapons against any invading force.