1998 N-tests ensured 'credible minimum deterrence' that guarantees peace: Pak leadership

Islamabad: Commemorating the 27th anniversary of Pakistan's first successful nuclear tests, its top leadership on Wednesday said the historic move in 1998 has ensured a "credible minimum deterrence” to safeguard the country's territorial integrity.

Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, inside a deeply dug tunnel in the remote Chaghi mountain of Balochistan province, as a response to India's nuclear tests in the same month at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range.

Designated as Youm-e-Takbeer, translated as ‘the day of greatness’ or ‘the day of God's greatness’, and observed annually with national zeal and fervour, the government has declared Wednesday a public holiday.

Pakistan became the seventh nuclear nation in the world and the first Muslim state in 1998, having a nuclear arsenal in its defence stockpile to exercise deterrence.

Congratulating the nation on the occasion of Youm-e-Takbeer, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in separate messages renewed their pledge to uphold and safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan.

In his message, President Zardari said Pakistan's “nuclear capability continues to serve as a credible minimum deterrence that guarantees peace and ensures no one can undermine our sovereignty and national security”.

He said Pakistan does not seek conflict and is committed to the principles of peaceful coexistence and respect for international law. He claimed that Pakistan demonstrated its strategic patience and commitment to peace in the recent military confrontation with India.

In his message on the occasion, Prime Minister Sharif hailed Pakistan's nuclear journey and called for renewed unity and determination to transform the country into an economic power.

Sharif linked this year's commemoration with what he described as Pakistan's recent "success" in defending itself in the "war" with India. He urged the nation to carry the spirit of Youm-e-Takbeer beyond defence and into economic transformation.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives. India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ under which it carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7, following which Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.

The Indian side responded strongly to the Pakistani actions. The on-ground hostilities ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.

The army in a statement said the Youm-e-Takbeer commemorates the momentous occasion when Pakistan emerged as a nuclear power, restoring the strategic balance in South Asia and asserting its sovereign right to self-defence.

“This historic achievement epitomises the nation’s resolve, unity, and unwavering pursuit of a dignified and peaceful existence... It affirms our doctrine of credible minimum deterrence, rooted in the principle of maintaining peace and strategic stability in the region,” it said.

The army said as responsible custodians of the nation’s strategic assets, “we reaffirm that our nuclear capability remains solely for defensive purposes and stands as a guarantor of peace”.