Youm-e-Takbeer: A proud day in Pakistan’s defense history
PESHAWAR (APP): To mark the successful nuclear tests conducted 28 years ago by Pakistan at Chagi district in Balochistan, the people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa celebrates the historic day with great national enthusiasm on Thursday.
From Chitral to DI Khan and Kohistan to Khyber, the people of all districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa including officials of the government departments, NGOs, civil society organizations, intelligentsia, labourers, farmers, politicians and students participates in rallies, seminars, declamation contest and walks in connection with the historic day.
On 28th May 1998, Pakistan had successfully detonated six nuclear devices in the Chagi district, Balochistan and joined the prestigious club of the nuclear weapons states.
Thus, Pakistan became the 7th nuclear weapon state of the world and 1st country of the Muslim Ummah.
The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for progress and prosperity of Pakistan, independence of the Indian illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir and eternal peace of all martyrs of Pakistan.
The national flag hoisted on top of Govt buildings and events including walks, seminars and declarations contests held.
Rich tributes were paid to the political leadership including former Prime Ministers Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, scientists and officials of all the relevant organizations for making Pakistan an atomic power.
In connection with the day, a walk was held at Nowshera addressed by PMLN Nowshera President Sahibzada Hamza Khan.
The participants raised full throated slogans in favour of PMLN leadership and raised placards with slogans in favour of Youm e Takbeer.
Speaking on the occasion, Shahibzafa Hamza said that May 28 was a historic day that made Pakistan”s defense impregnable.
“Pakistan was compelled to test the nuclear weapons in response to a series of nuclear tests by India on May 11-13, 1998. In response to India’s tests, Pakistan has successfully conducted six nuclear tests on May 28 of the same year to restore security balance and maintain deterrence equilibrium in the region,” he said.
He said the historic day was a source of great pride for the whole Pakistani nation and Muslim Ummah, adding the atomic capability of the country has increased its stature and respect among comity of nations besides its voice was strongly heard internationally, he remarked.
He paid tributes to leadership of then Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who rejected all presures of super powers and conducted nuclear tests at Chagi Balochistan.
“Following creation of Pakistan, India continued hatching conspiracies and waged four wars against it, showing its hegemonic and aggressive designs,” said Brigadier (R) Mahmood Shah, former Secretary Law and Order of erstwhile Fata.
He said India had deprived people of Kashmir of their in-birth right of freedom and illegally landed its troops in the Muslims majority Jummu and Kashmir (J&K) capital Serinagar on October 26, 1947.
The people of Jummu and Kashmir stood up against the Indians illegal occupation and succeeded to liberate Azad Kashmir from the Indian yoke. To take revenge of the crushing defeat in Kashmir, he said the cowardly Indian occupational forces launched a predawn attack on Lahore and Sialkot sectors on September 6, 1965 without warning or declaration of war.
He said Pakistani military backed by PAF, Pak Navy and the strong determination of the nation, had repulsed the cowardly attacks and foiled the nefarious designs of the aggressor.
He said Pakistani forces had occupied over 1600 kilometers of Indian territory during the 1965 war and were in a strong position to capture Delhi if the imposed war continued for a few more days.
“Our forces had reached upto Sutlaj river bridge India and was nearer to Delhi as PAF and Pakistan Artillery had broken back of the enemy.”
Brig Mehmood said India continued conspiracies against Pakistan and again attacked our western and eastern borders in 1971. The enemy attacks on civilian population inside Azad Kashmir during Kargil War and IAF attack at Balakot in February 2019 were sufficient proof of the India’s aggressive designs against Pakistan.
He said mostly recently on May 7, 2025, India again launched missiles and drones attacks on Pakistan and Azad Kashmir that was strongly responded by Pakistani armed forces, inflicting colossal damages to the enemy.
In such India’s aggressive designs, he said Pakistan was left with no option but to successfully detonate its nuclear devices at Chagi Balochistan 28 years ago in response to five India’s nuclear tests to restore the balance of power and maintained deterrence equilibrium in the region.
Dr Ebad Khan, Opposition leader in KP Assembly said that 28th May was a historic day in the history of Pakistan when former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif set aside all international pressures and successfully conducted six nuclear tests at Chagi Balochistan in 1998.
He said the Govt of Nawaz Sharif knew that Pakistan’s failure to respond against Indian tests would have made it vulnerable to its aggressive neighbour.
He said Pakistani was a strong and resilient nation that successfully came out of the economic quagmire following international sections in the wake of nuclear tests due to prudent policies of the then PMLN Govt.
He said the anti state elements continued hatching conspiracy and put in fire the Chagi mountains model constructed in memory of nuclear explosions in premises of Radio Pakistan, Peshawar on May 10, 2023.
Brigadier Mehmood said that Pakistan’s operational ability to establish a coherent “kill chain” under combat conditions has emerged as a defining feature of its air warfare doctrine.
The experts paid glowing tributes to the nation spirit during operation Iron Wall and Marak e Haq that shattered the confidence of the enemy after IAF multiple warplanes were shot down by PAF.
The experts praised the services and contributions of the country’s political and military leadership, scientists, engineers and all those who worked untiringly to make Pakistan a nuclear country in world.
They said security of a country was linked with economic development and the PMLN Govt was striving hard to make Pakistan an economic giant.
