NEW DELHI: India on Friday hit out at Pakistan over alleged covert nuclear weapons testing, following US President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks claiming that Islamabad continues to conduct underground nuclear trials.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described Pakistan’s purported activities as "clandestine and illegal", consistent with what it called Islamabad’s "decades-long record of proliferation and deception."
Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan’s nuclear history has been marred by illicit networks and violations of global norms. "Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan’s history that is centered around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, the AQ Khan network, and further proliferation," Jaiswal said.
He added that New Delhi has consistently drawn the attention of the international community to these issues. "In this backdrop, we have taken note of President Trump’s comment about Pakistan’s nuclear testing," Jaiswal added, referring to the US President’s recent interview.
Trump, in a conversation with CBS News’s 60 Minutes last Sunday, claimed that Pakistan, along with North Korea, Russia, and China, continues to secretly test nuclear weapons.
"We’re going to test because they test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing. They don’t go and tell you about it. They test way underground, where people don’t know what’s happening. You just feel a little vibration," Trump claimed, suggesting that several countries have been conducting concealed nuclear experiments despite international restrictions.
Pakistan, however, rejected Trump’s statements, saying it "was not the first to carry out nuclear tests and will not be the first to resume them." Islamabad has maintained that its nuclear arsenal is purely for deterrence and defensive purposes.
The official’s rebuttal came at a time when Pakistan has been seeking to align itself with Trump’s positions, reportedly as part of efforts to reset bilateral ties, even as Islamabad faces geopolitical and regional pressures.
Pakistan has not conducted any official nuclear tests since 1998, when it responded to India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in Rajasthan. Since then, Islamabad has maintained that it observes a "unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing," despite not being a signatory to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or civilian purposes.
The United States has been a signatory to the CTBT since 1996 and conducted its last nuclear test in 1992. Other major powers, including Russia and China, have not conducted nuclear detonations since 1990 and 1996, respectively. North Korea remains the only country known to have conducted nuclear tests in recent decades.
Trump’s comments have reignited global debate about the status of nuclear non-proliferation and the challenges posed by countries that operate outside the framework of transparency. His claim that "other nations like Russia and China" are also secretly testing has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, with experts calling for independent verification.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal also fielded questions about Trump’s possible visit to India, following the US President’s public hints about a trip aimed at deepening bilateral trade ties. However, the MEA spokesperson said there was “nothing to share” at the moment regarding the visit.
"As far as the comments of President Trump regarding his visit to India are concerned, I do not have anything on this to share. I will let you know when I have something to share about it," Jaiswal said.
Trump, speaking earlier this week at the White House after announcing a deal to cut obesity drug prices, said his discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi were "going great."
He praised Modi as a "great man and a friend", adding that India had reduced its dependence on Russian imports. "He wants me to go there. We will figure that out; I will go," Trump said, suggesting that a visit could take place next year. When asked directly whether he planned to travel to India in 2026, Trump replied, "It could be, yes."