India Says Pakistan Nuclear Arsenal Should Be under UN Surveillance
Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday, following a four-day conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi last week.
Pakistan did not immediately respond to Singh’s comments, which came as the nuclear-armed rivals ended their worst military conflict in nearly three decades with a ceasefire announcement on Saturday, AFP said.
“I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” Singh told troops at a base in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“I believe that Pakistan’s atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Singh added.
The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war.
Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 people were killed.
