India calls for UN scrutiny of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons as tensions persist

The defence minister said Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal should come under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency

Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN’s nuclear agency, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday, following last week’s four days of conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi.

“I want to put this question to the world … is Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal safe?” Singh said to troops at a base in Indian-administered Kashmir, adding: “Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be brought under the scrutiny of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).”

Singh’s remarks came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took aim at his counterpart over the border, accusing Narendra Modi of fanning instability and vowing a harsh response to future attacks.

Sharif spoke at a gathering of soldiers near the border on Wednesday, two days after Modi pledged in a speech to neutralise terrorist camps in Pakistan, calling its May 7 strikes inside Pakistan territory as a “new normal” response.

“Mr. Modi, if you take this route again, you will get a devastating answer,” Sharif said. “If you attack us, you’ll lose whatever you have.”

The two South Asian nuclear powers have agreed to a ceasefire after their most serious military confrontation in half a century. Tit-for-tat strikes followed India’s operations after militants killed 26 people in the disputed Kashmir region. India has accused Pakistan of involvement, which Islamabad denies.

Sharif said Pakistan’s response to India’s strikes has diminished Modi’s sense of regional “hegemony” and proved his nation’s capability to fight a conventional war. Both countries have said their offensive and defensive efforts were successful.

Pakistan has said, for instance, that it downed five Indian fighter jets, including three French-made Rafales. India has not confirmed the claim, but issued a statement on Wednesday detailing its military operations successful.

“We are ready for peace and war. Choice is yours,” Pakistan’s Sharif said. “Don’t ignite fire. Let it be extinguished. Make this region a home of peace.”

India denied targeting Pakistan’s nuclear installations during the brief conflict.

“We have not hit Kirana Hills,” Indian Air Marshal A.K. Bharti told reporters, referring to a vast rocky mountain range where, according to Indian media reports, Pakistan stores its nuclear arsenal.

India and Pakistan have a history of bitter relations over the disputed land of Jammu and Kashmir, which they both rule in part but claim in full. The neighbours have fought two wars over it since 1947 and accused each other of sponsoring militancy.