Pakistan rebukes Indian defence minister’s call for IAEA oversight of nuclear arsenal

Pakistan has issued a firm response to recent remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who called for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assume control over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

The Pakistani Foreign Office condemned the statement as "irresponsible" and indicative of India's "defence failures and growing frustration."

In a press briefing on Thursday, the Foreign Office spokesperson stated, “The Indian defence minister’s remarks display a shocking ignorance of international norms and the IAEA’s mandate. This is nothing short of self-imposed nuclear blackmail on India’s part.”

The spokesperson reaffirmed that Pakistan possesses credible and effective deterrence capabilities to respond to any conventional aggression, and emphasized that the country will not be cowed by provocative rhetoric or baseless threats.

Clarifying the limits of the IAEA’s authority, the Foreign Office underscored that the agency has no jurisdiction to control or manage the nuclear arsenals of sovereign states. It further accused India of deliberately misrepresenting the agency’s role in an attempt to deflect global scrutiny from its own security shortcomings.

Raising broader concerns, the spokesperson drew attention to a series of troubling incidents involving the theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear material within India. These incidents, they warned, pose a grave threat to international nuclear security and demand urgent global attention. Pakistan Strongly Rebukes Indian Defence Minister’s Call for IAEA Oversight of Nuclear Arsenal

Pakistan has issued a firm response to recent remarks made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who called for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assume control over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. The Pakistani Foreign Office condemned the statement as "irresponsible" and indicative of India's "defence failures and growing frustration."

In a press briefing on Thursday, the Foreign Office spokesperson stated, “The Indian defence minister’s remarks display a shocking ignorance of international norms and the IAEA’s mandate. This is nothing short of self-imposed nuclear blackmail on India’s part.”

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The spokesperson reaffirmed that Pakistan possesses credible and effective deterrence capabilities to respond to any conventional aggression, and emphasized that the country will not be cowed by provocative rhetoric or baseless threats.

Clarifying the limits of the IAEA’s authority, the Foreign Office underscored that the agency has no jurisdiction to control or manage the nuclear arsenals of sovereign states. It further accused India of deliberately misrepresenting the agency’s role in an attempt to deflect global scrutiny from its own security shortcomings.

Raising broader concerns, the spokesperson drew attention to a series of troubling incidents involving the theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear material within India. These incidents, they warned, pose a grave threat to international nuclear security and demand urgent global attention.