Weeks after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif makes big statement on Islamabad’s nuclear programme, says…

New Delhi: In a major statement, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday rejected the idea of a nuclear exchange during the recent conflict with India, saying his country’s nuclear programme was for “peaceful activities and self-defence”.

Addressing a group of Pakistani students in Islamabad on Saturday, Sharif said, “Pakistan’s nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and national defence, not for aggression.” His remarks appear aimed at countering growing speculation, particularly on social media, about the possibility of nuclear escalation during the recent cross-border confrontation.

PM Sharif on Operation Sindoor

PM Sharif, while addressing the gathering, confirmed that 55 Pakistani nationals were killed during India’s Operation Sindoor. The operation was launched in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian civilians. The Indian armed forces launched conducted precision strikes on 7 May, destroying nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Bahawalpur.

Sharif claimed that Pakistan had “responded with full might” during the escalation but reiterated that its nuclear arsenal was never considered as a retaliatory tool. “There was no question of nuclear use,” he emphasised, reiterating that Pakistan seeks regional stability, not destruction.

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