India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Thursday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should take charge of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, days after the nuclear-armed neighbors ended their most severe military conflict in nearly three decades.
Deadly fighting erupted between the two long-standing adversaries last week after India struck what it claimed were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan, retaliating for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, which India attributed to Pakistan.
Islamabad denied the allegations, and both countries deployed missiles and drones into each other’s airspace in the ensuing days, before reaching a ceasefire agreement on Saturday.
“Are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation?” Singh questioned while addressing soldiers in held-Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar. “I believe that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be taken under the supervision of IAEA.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan strongly condemned the Indian minister’s “irresponsible” statement. The Foreign Office spokesperson stated that the statement reflected India’s defense failures and disappointment.
The IAEA is a Vienna-based UN watchdog that monitors nuclear programs to ensure they are peaceful.
India and Pakistan became nuclear powers after conducting tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998, and their decades-old animosity has transformed the region – one of the world’s most populous – into one of its most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.
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The latest military conflict between the South Asian neighbors escalated alarmingly on Saturday, and there were brief concerns that nuclear arsenals might be deployed as Pakistan’s military announced that a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would convene.
However, the Pakistani defense minister clarified that no such meeting was scheduled.
Military analysts suggested that this might have been Pakistan’s way of hinting at its nuclear option, as Islamabad maintains a “first-use” policy if its existence is threatened in a conflict.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Monday that India would strike at terrorist hideouts across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he termed Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”
Pakistan rejected Modi’s statements as “provocative and inflammatory assertions,” stating that they represented a dangerous escalation.
