Pakistan has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate what it calls a “nuclear black market” in India, citing multiple incidents of theft and illicit trafficking of radioactive material. This comes as a direct response to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s call for the IAEA to monitor Pakistan’s nuclear program.
The Pakistani Foreign Office issued a statement sharply criticizing Singh’s proposal, stating, “Pakistan urges a thorough investigation of these incidents and calls upon India to ensure the safety and security of its nuclear facilities and arsenal.” The statement further asserted, “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.”
Singh’s call for IAEA oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons came during a speech to Indian soldiers in Srinagar, following a period of heightened military tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. This tension, which peaked after the Pahalgam attack, prompted global concern about a potential nuclear conflict. In the aftermath of the de-escalation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared, “India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail. India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail.”
Pakistan dismissed Singh’s comments as stemming from “profound insecurity and frustration regarding Pakistan’s effective defence and deterrence against Indian aggression through conventional means,” adding that “Pakistan’s conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India, without the self-imposed ‘nuclear blackmail’ that New Delhi suffers.” The Foreign Office also criticized the proposal as demonstrating an “ignorance of the mandate and responsibilities” of the IAEA.
Pakistan highlighted several specific incidents to support its claims, including the reported apprehension of five individuals in Dehradun last year with a radioactive device allegedly stolen from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and the discovery of a gang in possession of Californium, a highly radioactive element valued at over $100 million. Three additional Californium thefts were reported in 2021. The Foreign Office concluded that 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.”
Despite a recent ceasefire, the escalating rhetoric and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty have left the two nations locked in a prolonged diplomatic standoff, raising further concerns about regional stability.
