Amid renewed regional tensions, Pakistan on Thursday formally requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to investigate India’s alleged failure to safeguard nuclear materials, citing what it called a pattern of “repeated thefts” and a potential “nuclear black market.”
The Pakistani Foreign Office issued a detailed statement urging the IAEA to review incidents such as the 2023 Dehradun theft of a radioactive device and the illegal trafficking of Californium—a rare and highly radioactive substance—suggesting serious lapses in India’s nuclear security protocols.
The statement was issued in response to Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who recently appealed to the IAEA to place Pakistan’s nuclear program under international monitoring, calling it a threat to global security during a speech in Srinagar.
Pakistan dismissed Singh’s remarks as “ignorant” and misrepresentative of the IAEA’s mandate. Islamabad asserted that its nuclear arsenal adheres strictly to international standards and is purely defensive in nature. “In Pakistan’s case, its capabilities deter aggression without resorting to a nuclear threat,” the Foreign Office said.
Officials further accused India of “projecting insecurity” over Pakistan’s conventional and nuclear deterrence, while neglecting its own troubling history of radioactive material mismanagement.
The diplomatic clash follows the fragile ceasefire announced after the Pahalgam attack in April, which left 26 civilians dead. India has blamed the attack on militants allegedly linked to Pakistan, although no public evidence has been presented to support the claim.
The rhetoric has since intensified, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing that India would not allow “nuclear blackmail” in any form. Singh’s comments on Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities echoed this hardline stance, even as both countries navigate a tenuous ceasefire agreement.
Further compounding tensions is India’s suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a World Bank-brokered agreement governing the shared river systems between the two countries. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar linked the potential revival of the treaty to an end to “cross-border terrorism.”
Islamabad has condemned the move, warning that any unilateral diversion of river water would be viewed as an “act of war.” The dispute over the treaty has become another flashpoint in a deteriorating relationship already strained by military incidents and competing nuclear narratives.
This latest round of accusations underscores the fragile balance between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, where security, political posturing, and unresolved disputes over Kashmir and strategic water resources intersect. With India accused of repeated radioactive material mismanagement and Pakistan defending its nuclear posture as stabilizing, the call for international oversight has taken a new, more contentious turn.
Whether the IAEA will intervene or issue a public response remains to be seen. However, Islamabad’s bid to internationalize the issue reflects a broader strategic effort to deflect pressure and cast doubt on New Delhi’s security credibility amid escalating regional tensions.