Pakistan Condemns Rajnath Singh’s Call for IAEA Oversight of Its Nuclear Arsenal

On Thursday, Pakistan forcefully dismissed remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that suggested the oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); stating the comments were “outrageous” in very “irresponsible” and exhibiting “sheer ignorance” about the IAEA’s mandate.

In a bracing statement, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Singh’s comments as expressing “deep insecurity and frustration” about Pakistan’s defence capability in conventional terms. “Pakistan’s conventional forces are sufficient to deter India without using the so-called ‘nuclear blackmail’ that New Delhi expresses concern over," it added.

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Rajnath Singh made his statement as part of his first visit to Jammu when his remarks occurred just after operations ‘Sindoor’ and when he was addressing Indian troops at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. Singh questioned the safety or responsibility of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons before calling Pakistan “irresponsible and rogue” in asking the global nuclear watchdog to bring embodied Pakistan’s nuclear weapons under its oversight.

“The whole world has seen how irresponsibly Pakistan has threatened India,” Singh said. Singh applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and praised the success of the Operation Sindoor, and thanks the people of Jammu and Kashmir for recognizing the severity of terrorism and for standing against Pakistan’s provocation.

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The IAEA replied with confirmation that there had not been any radiation leaks or nuclear incidents reported from any facilities in Pakistan. The agency had not made an official comment regarding Singh’s call for oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear program.

The IAEA, headquartered in Vienna, has served as the foremost intergovernmental organization to promote safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology by nations across the world. Included with this is the scientific collaboration and monitoring, but the organization is not a direct overseer of the nuclear arsenals of sovereign states without an agreement.

This exchange comes amid tensions following Operation Sindoor and an ongoing insecure environment along the India-Pakistan border. Pakistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, continues to cite conventional deterrence as a key part of its defence architecture and dismissed Japanese concerns over its nuclear security.

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