Pakistan Denies Testing Nukes Amid Trump’s Bold Accusations

Pakistan has hit back at President Donald Trump after he claimed the country was testing nuclear weapons.

A senior Pakistani security official told CBS News that Pakistan was “not the first to carry out nuclear tests and will not be the first to resume nuclear tests.” The statement is rare, especially as Pakistan has been trying to strengthen ties with the U.S. under Trump’s leadership.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been praising Trump for helping broker a ceasefire with India after a short military clash in May. India, however, has downplayed Trump’s role in the agreement.

Trump made his claims in an interview with 60 Minutes last week. He said China, Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan were testing nuclear weapons, arguing this justified his decision to resume U.S. nuclear tests after a three-decade pause.

“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump said. “We’re gonna test, because they test, and others test. And certainly North Korea’s been testing. Pakistan’s been testing.”

When asked if he was confusing nuclear weapons with missile tests, Trump replied, “Countries don’t go and tell you about it.”

He added, “As powerful as they are, this is a big world. You don’t necessarily know where they are testing. They test way underground, where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test and we don’t test. We have to test.”

Trump’s comments followed his order for the Pentagon to “immediately” start testing U.S. nuclear weapons, ending a 30-year moratorium. Experts warned the vague instructions could trigger a new nuclear arms race.

Details about the proposed tests remain unclear, but analysts believe Trump aims to keep the U.S. ahead of Russia and China, both of which have upgraded their nuclear delivery systems.

The world’s nuclear powers hold over 12,000 warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists. The U.S. and Russia control about 87 percent, and 83 percent are ready for military use. The rest belong to the U.K., France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.

The U.S. last tested a nuclear weapon in 1992 and signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996. Pakistan says its last test was in 1998 and has since maintained a “unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing.” Pakistan is not a signatory to the treaty.

China has not tested a nuclear weapon since 1996, and Russia’s recent tests involved delivery systems, not explosions. China dismissed Trump’s claim, saying it adheres to a nuclear testing moratorium and a policy of “no first use.”

Experts warn that ending the U.S. moratorium could spark global tensions. Pakistan’s firm denial shows it wants to avoid being dragged into international blame while still keeping good relations with Trump.

Featured image via The Daily Glitch gallery