Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices underground on May 28, 1998.
Pakistanis are celebrating Youm e Takbeer to remember country’s first five nuclear tests that were carried out 22 years ago in the Chaghi district of Balochistan.
The tests were carried out to maintain peace in the process as the Indian government started making grave threats to the security of the country after its own nuclear tests a couple of weeks earlier. To date, the nuclear capability has been a deterrent to war between the two neighbors. Pakistan has always maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The nuclear tests made Pakistan the 7th country to officially conduct a nuclear test and the first one in the Muslim world. The nuclear test led to a number of international sanctions at the time. Pakistan faced a lot of international pressure during that period with some of the world’s influential leaders including the US President Bill Clinton urging Pakistan to not reciprocate India’s test. The then Pakistani government was even offered special incentives in return of not carrying out nuclear tests.
There are generally widespread celebrations with both official and unofficial events scheduled to take place every year. However, the celebrations are a subdued this year due the novel coronavirus.