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.
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“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.”
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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.