SRINAGAR: India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday (May 15) of failing to control their nuclear weapons, calling on the world to monitor their neighbour’s arsenal just days after their most serious military confrontation in two decades.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN’s atomic energy agency, while Islamabad said the international community should investigate a “black market” in India.Â
The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war before a ceasefire was brokered on Saturday.
“I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” Singh told troops at a base in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“I believe that Pakistan’s atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Singh added.
Hours later, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the IAEA should instead probe “the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India”.
“These incidents also suggest the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials inside India,” he added.
But on Thursday, Dar announced there had been “military to military communications” and both sides had agreed to extend a ceasefire until Sunday, May 18.
Source: CNA
