Randhir Jaiswal made the remark while responding to a question on Trump’s recent remark that Pakistan has secretly been testing nuclear weapons. India on Friday hit out at Pakistan over its alleged nuclear weapons testing, saying the “clandestine and illegal nuclear activities” were consistent with Islamabad’s history.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while addressing a weekly briefing, said Pakistan’s nuclear history is centered around “decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships and AQ Khan network”. Jaiswal made the remark while responding to a question on Trump’s recent remark that Pakistan has secretly been testing nuclear weapons.
“Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan’s history, that is centered around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, AQ Khan network and further proliferation,” Jaiswal said in the press briefing. He said New Delhi has always drawn the attention of the international community to these aspects of Pakistan’s record.
“In this backdrop, we have taken note of President Trump’s comment about Pakistan’s nuclear testing,” he added. Last Sunday, Trump, in an interview with CBS News’s 60 Minutes, said that while the US refrained from testing for over three decades, several countries, including Pakistan continue to carry underground nuclear trials.
“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 said. Pakistan, however, dismissed Trump’s claim, saying it “was not the first to carry out nuclear tests and will not be the first to resume them.” The US President added that other nations like Russia and China were also secretly conducting tests while avoiding public discussion.
