(Abdul Basit Alvi)
Yaum e Takbeer, observed on May 28, commemorates Pakistan’s 1998 nuclear tests and symbolizes national pride, sovereignty, and strategic security. Celebrated across Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Balochistan, and the rest of the country, it marks Pakistan’s emergence as a declared nuclear power and the end of strategic vulnerability in South Asia. The occasion carries renewed significance because of the combination of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent and strengthened conventional military capabilities, forming a dual-layered defense shield that shapes regional power calculations and allows the country to pursue development without fear of external domination. Pakistan maintained for decades that it did not initiate the South Asian nuclear race and exercised restraint after India’s 1974 “Smiling Buddha” test while gradually building its own capability. Leaders including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Zia-ul-Haq, and Nawaz Sharif proposed nuclear-free arrangements, mutual inspections, and strategic restraint, but these initiatives were rejected by India. Tensions escalated in May 1998 when India, under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP government, conducted the Pokhran-II tests, creating fears of permanent Indian nuclear dominance and reducing the effectiveness of Pakistan’s smaller conventional forces. Amid sanctions, international pressure, and appeals from U.S. President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif authorized Pakistan’s response after scientists including Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Samar Mubarakmand, and Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad confirmed their readiness. On May 28, 1998, Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices in the Ras Koh hills of Chagai, followed by a sixth test in Kharan on May 29, transforming the country into a declared and operational nuclear power. The tests ranged from boosted-fission weapons of 25–36 kilotons to smaller tactical devices, were confirmed internationally through seismic readings, and were followed by Nawaz Sharif’s announcement that Pakistan had secured its future and established peace through strength. Nationwide celebrations erupted with prayers, sweets, and public rejoicing over what many believed ensured that the trauma of the 1971 breakup of Pakistan would never recur.
Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal became the foundation of its deterrence strategy against a much larger India with superior numbers in tanks, aircraft, naval assets, and personnel, making the cost of large-scale war unacceptable. Tactical nuclear weapons such as the Nasr missile were developed to counter India’s “Cold Start” doctrine and maintain full-spectrum deterrence at every level of conflict, while operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad strengthened the armed forces by weakening militant groups and improving military readiness. The Pakistan Air Force modernized with JF-17 Thunder Block III fighters, AESA radars, PL-15 missiles, and J-10CE aircraft; the Pakistan Navy expanded through Type 054 frigates, Hangor-class submarines, Gwadar port development under CPEC, and vessels such as PNS Babur; and the Pakistan Army upgraded its tanks, artillery, infantry equipment, and precision weapons systems. Events such as the Kargil conflict, Operation Parakram, Operation Swift Retort after the Pulwama crisis, and the downing of an Indian MiG-21 reinforced confidence in Pakistan’s military capabilities, while the nuclear deterrent remained the central guarantee preventing escalation into full-scale war. Yaum e Takbeer also honors the political leaders, scientists, engineers, technicians, soldiers, workers, and administrators who contributed to the nuclear program through decades of secrecy and hardship. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto initiated the vision for a nuclear deterrent after the 1971 war and launched the project at the 1972 Multan Meeting with his pledge to obtain the bomb regardless of sacrifice; General Zia-ul-Haq protected and accelerated the program during the 1980s despite Western pressure; and Nawaz Sharif authorized the final tests despite international condemnation and sanctions threats. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan built the Kahuta Research Laboratories and became associated with uranium enrichment, while Munir Ahmad Khan and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission advanced plutonium production and weaponization through facilities such as Khushab. Dr. Samar Mubarakmand supervised the design, preparation, diagnostics, and detonation process at Chagai, while scientists including Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Dr. Muhammad Hafeez Qureshi, Dr. Riazuddin, Dr. Masood Ahmad, and Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood contributed to weapon design, metallurgy, geology, reactor development, and coordination of the program. Equal tribute is extended to anonymous engineers, truck drivers, security personnel, soldiers, civil workers, and administrative staff who secretly transported materials, protected facilities, built infrastructure, and sustained the program for years. Pakistan’s nuclear capability is regarded as a secure and evolving shield against conventional invasion, cross-border strikes, naval blockades, or nuclear attack, ensuring the country’s survival, sovereignty, and strategic independence through deliberate planning, scientific achievement, military preparedness, and national unity.
