Key Points
- Pakistan’s conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India
- India has a large, very unsafe and insecure nuclear programme
- India is ignorant of the IAEA mandate and responsibilities
- IAEA must address radioactive, nuclear material theft and trafficking incidents in India
- Pakistan calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the international community to conduct a thorough investigation into the repeated incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive material in India.
Islamabad also urged New Delhi to take steps to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal, warning that these repeated breaches pose serious risks to regional and global security.
“The IAEA and the international community should be worried about the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesman Shafaqat Ali Khan said in a statement.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan strongly condemned the remarks of the Indian Defence Minister on its nuclear arsenal, made on Thursday in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
These irresponsible remarks reveal his profound insecurity and frustration regarding Pakistan’s effective defence and deterrence against Indian aggression through conventional means, the spokesperson said in a statement.
Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh, addressing a gathering in Indian illegally occupied Jammu Kashmir, said while carrying out action against terrorists, the Indian Army didn’t bother even a nuclear blackmail by Pakistan.
The Indian defence minister further said Pakistan threatened Indian with nuclear strikes. He said he wanted to raise a point before the world that Pakistani nuclear weapons should be given to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
While condemning the Indian defence minister’s remarks, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that Pakistan’s conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India, without the self-imposed ‘nuclear blackmail’ that New Delhi suffers.
India’s unsafe nuclear programme
Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based strategic affairs expert, said that “India has a large, very unsafe and insecure nuclear and missile programme. Indian media has reported several instances of fissile material being found and sold in local shops, an Indian nuclear-powered submarine encountered an accident due to its hatch being left open by its crew, and unauthorised firing of Brahmos cruise missile, which landed inside Pakistan three years ago.”
He said these grave and frequent Indian nuclear blunders deserve much more IAEA attention and timely intervention.
The foreign office spokesman said comments of India’s Defence Minister also show his sheer ignorance of the mandate and responsibilities of a specialised agency of the United Nations like the IAEA.
He noted 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.
The spokesman recalled that just last year, five individuals with a radioactive device reportedly stolen from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) were found in Dehradun, India.
He added later, a gang of individuals was found with illegal possession of a highly radioactive and toxic substance, Californium, worth US$ 100 million.
The spokesman further said three incidents of theft of Californium were also reported in 2021. These recurring incidents call into question the measures taken by New Delhi for the safety and security of nuclear and other radioactive material.
These incidents also suggest the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials inside India.
Pakistan, the spokesman said, urges a thorough investigation of these incidents and calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal.
IAEA confirms safety of Pakistan’s nuclear sites
Meanwhile, the IAEA has confirmed that all of Pakistan’s nuclear facilities remain entirely safe and secure, rejecting Indian allegations of damage amid recent cross-border tensions.
The global nuclear watchdog reported no signs of radiation leaks or structural compromise.
As reported by Dawn News, the IAEA’s findings followed a misinformation campaign by India, which claimed that its strikes had impacted Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure.
The agency affirmed that all of Pakistan’s nuclear sites remained undamaged during the attacks, with no release of radioactive material.
The IAEA emphasised that even during intense Indian missile strikes, Pakistan’s nuclear and missile installations were fully safeguarded.
This official clarification directly contradicts the Indian narrative disseminated following its military setbacks in recent confrontations.
“Global nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] has said there was no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan during the country’s recent military conflict with India,” The Hindu—a renowned media publication of India—reported on Thursday.
Speaking with The Indian Express on Tuesday, a spokesperson from the Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog said, “We are aware of the reports you are referring to. Based on information available to the IAEA, there has been no radiation leak or release from any nuclear facility in Pakistan.”
Fragile Indian stockpile
India’s nuclear power industry remains shrouded in secrecy and a lack of transparency, with authorities refusing to disclose safety-related information, according to the Express Tribune.
Leading environmental watchdogs have raised serious concerns over the safety protocols employed within the country’s nuclear sector, where technical lapses and inadequate maintenance are reportedly widespread.
Furthermore, regulatory bodies in India are frequently accused of covering up significant nuclear incidents.
Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based strategic affairs expert, said that “India has a large, very unsafe and insecure nuclear and missile programme. Indian media has reported several instances of fissile material being found and sold in local shops, an Indian nuclear-powered submarine encountered an accident due to its hatch being left open by its crew, and unauthorised firing of Brahmos cruise missile, which landed inside Pakistan three years ago.”
