‘Illegal nuclear acts part of Pakistan’s history,’ says India after Trump’s explosive claim

India on Friday strongly criticised Pakistan over its alleged secret nuclear testing, calling such activities part of Islamabad’s long-standing record of illegal and clandestine operations. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Pakistan’s nuclear history is built on “decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships and the AQ Khan network.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the statement while responding to questions about former US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that Pakistan has been secretly testing nuclear weapons underground. Jaiswal said, “Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan’s history, which has been marked by proliferation and violations of global norms.”

He added that India has consistently drawn the attention of the international community to Pakistan’s questionable nuclear practices and proliferation links. “We have taken note of President Trump’s comment about Pakistan’s nuclear testing,” Jaiswal said during the weekly briefing.

Trump had earlier alleged in an interview that Pakistan, along with countries like North Korea, Russia, and China, continues to conduct underground nuclear tests while avoiding international scrutiny. Pakistan has denied the claim, stating it “was not the first to conduct tests and will not be the first to resume them.”