ISLAMABAD; Pakistan on Friday strongly denied India’s accusations of conducting secret nuclear tests, terming the claims “baseless, fabricated, and politically motivated.”
Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi clarified that Pakistan had not carried out any nuclear testing after May 1998, when it conducted a series of tests in response to India’s detonations. “For the record, Pakistan’s last nuclear tests were in May 1998. Our position on nuclear testing is well established and consistent,” Andrabi said while responding to a query from Dawn.
He said Pakistan continues to observe a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing but has not signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), thereby retaining the option to resume testing if its national security environment—particularly with India—demands it.
The spokesman said Pakistan supports all United Nations resolutions calling for a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing, contrasting India’s abstentions on such resolutions, which he said expose New Delhi’s “dubious intentions.”
The FO’s statement followed remarks by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which cited former US President Donald Trump’s 2019 CBS interview in which he had alleged that “Pakistan’s been testing” nuclear weapons.
Responding sharply, Andrabi said India was “distorting facts and misrepresenting” Trump’s old remarks. He added that Washington had already clarified its position on the matter.
“Pakistan’s nuclear programme operates under a strong command and control system, with comprehensive export controls and a flawless record of compliance with global non-proliferation norms,” Andrabi stated.
He accused India of running a “disinformation campaign” to divert international attention from its own troubling record on nuclear safety, citing repeated incidents of radioactive thefts and black-market sales of nuclear materials in India.
“As recently as last year, radioactive substances from India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, including Californium worth over $100 million, were found on sale,” Andrabi said. “These recurring cases reveal the existence of a dangerous black market for nuclear material in India, posing a serious threat to regional and global security,” he warned.
