Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 7: India on Friday took strong note of US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks naming Pakistan among nations testing nuclear weapons, reiterating that Islamabad’s nuclear programme has long been shrouded in secrecy and illegal proliferation.

Responding to Trump’s comments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan’s nuclear history is rooted in decades of “smuggling, export control violations and secret partnerships.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “Clandestine and illegal nuclear activities are in keeping with Pakistan's history, which is centred around decades of smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, the AQ Khan network, and further proliferation.”

Jaiswal further added that India has consistently drawn the attention of the international community to Pakistan’s record in nuclear proliferation and the activities of Dr. AQ Khan, widely known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, who passed away in 2021.

Trump, while defending his administration’s move to resume nuclear weapons testing after a gap of over three decades, cited Pakistan among the countries conducting such tests. His remarks came ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

AQ Khan, a controversial figure, was believed to have built an international black market that facilitated the transfer of nuclear and missile technologies to countries like North Korea and Iran, raising global security concerns.

India’s renewed remarks come amid increasing global scrutiny of nuclear non-proliferation efforts and underline New Delhi’s long-standing position that Islamabad’s clandestine network remains a threat to regional and global stability.