India urges IAEA to monitor Pakistan’s nuclear weapons after Kashmir clash

Indian defence minister questions safety of Pakistan’s atomic arsenal after Kashmir conflict.

An Indian paramilitary soldier stands guard atop an armoured vehicle stationed along a street in Srinagar on May 15, 2025. Photo by Tauseef Mustafa/AFP

By Anna Fadiah and Clarisa Sendy

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday publicly called for international oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, urging the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assume responsibility for monitoring Islamabad’s arsenal. His statement followed a deadly four-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours over the disputed Kashmir region.

Singh made the remarks while addressing Indian troops at a military base in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir. His comments marked India’s strongest accusation yet about the risks posed by Pakistan’s nuclear program amid rising tensions in the region.

“I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” Singh asked. “I believe that Pakistan's atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA.”

The suggestion that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons be placed under IAEA surveillance underscores growing regional anxiety after India and Pakistan narrowly avoided a wider war. While Islamabad has not officially responded to Singh’s remarks, the implications of such a proposal have rippled across diplomatic and security circles in South Asia.

Four days of deadly cross-border conflict

The renewed India-Pakistan tensions stemmed from a May 7 Indian military strike on what New Delhi described as “terrorist camps” inside Pakistan. The operation came in response to a deadly attack in April, where 26 civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of harbouring militant groups behind the assault, a claim Islamabad flatly denies.

Over the next four days, both countries exchanged a barrage of drone strikes, artillery fire, and missile attacks. Civilian casualties mounted quickly, with nearly 70 people killed on both sides of the Line of Control — many of them non-combatants.

The violent escalation triggered international alarm, raising fears that the hostilities could spill over into a full-fledged war involving nuclear weapons. Though both countries have insisted their nuclear programs are secure and defensive in nature, the potential for miscalculation has rattled global powers.

Singh questions Pakistan’s nuclear responsibility

Singh’s insistence that Pakistan’s atomic arsenal be monitored by the IAEA adds another layer to India’s long-standing concerns about its neighbor’s nuclear capabilities. While both India and Pakistan are members of the IAEA, neither country’s nuclear weapons are under direct agency supervision due to their non-signatory status with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“Pakistan’s behavior during and after this conflict raises serious concerns about the command and control of its nuclear weapons,” Singh added in his address. His reference to Pakistan as “a rogue and irresponsible nation” was swiftly picked up by Indian media, igniting debates over nuclear accountability and regional stability.

Pakistan says nuclear option ‘not on the table’

Despite the tension, Pakistani officials have attempted to downplay the threat of nuclear escalation. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Pakistani military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry described the idea of a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan as “inconceivable and sheer stupidity.”

“That conflict can lead to the peril of 1.6 billion people,” he said, warning that any nuclear confrontation would have catastrophic consequences. “In reality, there is no space for war between India and Pakistan.”

Pakistan’s foreign ministry also reiterated that its National Command Authority — the civilian and military body overseeing its nuclear weapons — was not summoned during the conflict, implying that nuclear options were never seriously considered.

India denies targeting nuclear sites

Meanwhile, Indian officials have sought to reassure the world that their strikes were limited and carefully calculated. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti denied reports that Indian forces had targeted nuclear facilities inside Pakistan, including the Kirana Hills, a location widely believed to house elements of Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure.

“We have not hit Kirana Hills,” Bharti said in response to speculation in Indian media.

Still, the intensity of the cross-border skirmishes and the rhetoric from both governments has left many questioning whether future conflicts could more easily escalate beyond conventional warfare.

Ceasefire announced after global intervention

A ceasefire was announced on Saturday following diplomatic pressure from several world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who brokered a surprise truce. Though both India and Pakistan accused each other of early ceasefire violations, the agreement has largely held since the weekend.

The ceasefire brought a temporary halt to the most serious military confrontation between the two countries since their 1999 Kargil War, but tensions remain high.

UN and Pakistan exchange warnings

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reportedly spoke to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, warning that India’s “provocative and inflammatory remarks” posed a threat to the region’s fragile peace.

In a statement from his office, Sharif emphasized the need for international mediation and cautioned against any actions that could reignite violence in Kashmir or provoke further military escalation.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, took a hardline stance during a public speech earlier this week, warning that India “will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail.”

Militancy on the rise in Kashmir

The conflict comes amid growing insurgent activity in the Kashmir Valley, particularly following the Indian government’s decision in 2019 to revoke the region’s limited autonomy. The move has led to increased military presence, civil unrest, and an uptick in militant attacks.

On Thursday, police in the Pulwama district of southern Kashmir reported killing three suspected militants during a gunfight in Tral. A senior officer, speaking anonymously, said the militants were not linked to the April tourist attack but were believed to be part of a local insurgent network.

Earlier this week, another encounter in the southern Kashmir Valley resulted in the deaths of three more suspected militants, further raising concerns about instability in the region.

A fragile future for nuclear-armed rivals

With both India and Pakistan continuing to claim the entire region of Kashmir, the prospect of long-term peace remains uncertain. While the current ceasefire may have stopped the bloodshed temporarily, the underlying causes of the conflict — territorial disputes, militancy, and nuclear brinkmanship — remain unresolved.

As India calls for Pakistan’s nuclear weapons to be placed under IAEA surveillance, the international community faces a renewed challenge: ensuring that one of the world’s most volatile regions doesn’t become the epicenter of a nuclear crisis.

The coming weeks will test the resolve of both governments to maintain peace and the willingness of global powers to press for transparency, especially regarding the security of nuclear arsenals in South Asia.