https://arab.news/nn89a
- India and Pakistan became nuclear powers after they conducted tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998聽
- Latest standoff with missiles, drones briefly raised fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play聽
ISLAMABAD: The foreign office on Thursday 鈥渟trongly鈥� condemned remarks by the Indian defense minister that the International Atomic Energy Agency should take charge of Pakistan鈥檚 nuclear weapons, calling them 鈥渋rresponsible鈥� and reflecting New Delhi鈥檚 鈥渋gnorance鈥� about the mandate of the UN watchdog.
Deadly fighting broke out between the old enemies last week after India struck what it said were 鈥渢errorist camps鈥� in Pakistan in retaliation for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26. New Delhi said the assault was backed by Pakistan.
Islamabad had denied the allegations and both countries sent missiles and drones into each other鈥檚 airspace in the days that followed, before they reached a truce on Saturday.
鈥淎re nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation?鈥� Rajnath Singh said while addressing soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir鈥檚 summer capital of Srinagar. 鈥淚 believe that Pakistan鈥檚 nuclear weapons should be taken under the supervision of IAEA.鈥�
In response, the Pakistan foreign office said India鈥檚 鈥渋rresponsible remarks reveal his profound insecurity and frustration regarding Pakistan鈥檚 effective defense and deterrence against Indian aggression through conventional means.鈥�
鈥淧akistan鈥檚 conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India, without the self-imposed 鈥榥uclear blackmail鈥� that New Delhi suffers,鈥� the FO statement said. 鈥淭he comments of India鈥檚 Defense Minister also show his sheer ignorance of the mandate and responsibilities of a specialized agency of the United Nations like the IAEA.鈥�
The IAEA is a Vienna-based UN watchdog that monitors nuclear programs to ensure they are peaceful.
India and Pakistan became nuclear powers after they conducted tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998 and their decades-old animosity has made the region 鈥� the world鈥檚 most populous 鈥� one of its most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.
The latest military conflict between the South Asian neighbors spiraled alarmingly on Saturday and there were briefly fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan鈥檚 military said a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.
But the Pakistani defense minister said no such meeting was scheduled.
Military analysts said this may have been Pakistan鈥檚 way of hinting at its nuclear option as Islamabad has a 鈥渇irst-use鈥� policy if its existence is under threat in a conflict.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India would strike at 鈥渢errorist hideouts鈥� across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad鈥檚 鈥渘uclear blackmail.鈥�
Pakistan rejected Modi鈥檚 statements as being 鈥減rovocative and inflammatory,鈥� saying it represented a dangerous escalation.
Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan have fought three wars in the past, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
India also blames Pakistan for supporting militants battling security forces in its part of Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation.
With inputs from Reuters