IAEA should investigate nuclear material trafficking in India: Pakistan following defence minister's statement

Pakistan on Thursday reacted to India's defence minister Rajnath Singh's remarks suggesting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight of Islamabad's nuclear arsenal, calling the statement a reflection of "sheer ignorance of the mandate and responsibilities" of the global nuclear watchdog.

The Pakistan ministry of foreign affairs said it "strongly condemns" Rajnath Singh's remarks. "These irresponsible remarks reveal his profound insecurity and frustration regarding Pakistan's effective defence and deterrence against Indian aggression through conventional means. Pakistan's conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India, without the self-imposed 'nuclear blackmail' that New Delhi suffers," the ministry's statement read.

Pakistan also alleged, "If anything, the IAEA and the international community should be worried about the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India."

What Rajnath Singh said?

The defence minister was on his first visit to Jammu post Operation Sindoor to review the overall security situation and combat readiness of frontline troops.

"The whole world has seen how irresponsibly Pakistan has threatened India. Today, from the land of Srinagar, I want to raise this question whether nuclear weapons are safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation. I believe that Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be taken under the supervision of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Rajnath Singh said while addressing Indian soldiers in Srinagar's Badami Bagh Cantonment.

The senior BJP leader hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor and praised the people of Jammu and Kashmir for showing their "anger" against terrorism and Pakistan.

IAEA on Pakistan

The global nuclear watchdog told news agency ANI that there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan.

IAEA has not commented so far on Rajnath Singh's suggestion to bring Pakistan's nuclear facilities under the global body's supervision.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's primary intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field. It promotes the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear science and technology, contributing to international peace and security and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.