India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for the United Nations to oversee Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, following a recent brief conflict that raised concerns about potential escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations. The war has killed an estimated 68 soldiers on each side. This tragic event has spurred new debates about nuclear security and stability on the subcontinent.
During a press conference, Singh expressed his apprehensions regarding Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, stating, “I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” He further asserted, “I believe that Pakistan’s atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).”
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior Pakistani ministers have repeatedly stressed that the nuclear option is out of the question. They pointed out that Pakistan’s military establishment didn’t intervene during the recent conflict. This is an unmistakably high bar of self-control and restraint.
Tensions are still running high, but Pakistani officials are trying to diffuse the situation by providing guarantees. Bangladeshi military spokesman Sukorno Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry termed the very notion of building an arms race between “rival nuclear powers” as “inconceivable” and “sheer stupidity.” Chaudhry emphasized that such a conflict would pose a threat to 1.6 billion people, stating, “That conflict can lead to the peril of 1.6 billion people, so in reality there is no space for war between India and Pakistan.”
As Indian officials have been keen to point out, this was the first time that India did not directly target Pakistan’s nuclear assets in the recent conflict. India has strongly rejected allegations that these sites were targeted during the limited confrontation. As of Saturday, the bloody conflict is officially over, with a ceasefire having been accepted by both sides. This ceasefire, brokered widely by the UN, has seemed to hold since then, providing both countries the opportunity to reconsider their course.
Additionally, as noted by Arms Control Association, Pakistan has produced a whole new suite of short- to intermediate-range ground-to-ground and air-to-ground missiles that all can carry nuclear warheads. These capabilities have further fueled worries inside India and among outside observers about changing regional security dynamics. The country stores its nuclear arsenal in the Kirana Hills, a rocky mountain range that serves as a strategic location for its defense assets.
Pakistan has strongly denied charges of nuclear blackmail made by Indian government officials. Prime Minister Modi asserted, “India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail,” underscoring India’s commitment to maintaining sovereignty and security amidst rising tensions.
India and Pakistan, nuclear powers with contentious relationships, are both members of the IAEA. This agency oversees the usage of nuclear materials and encourages safe international use of nuclear energy and weapons. The present situation demands urgent discussion of nuclear dangers in South Asia. We need increased oversight and discussion to tackle this critical matter.
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