Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The nation will celebrate Youm-e-Takbeer with zeal and fervour today (Sunday) to commemorate the historic event when it successfully conducted a series of nuclear tests in the Chaghi mountain of Balochistan province on May 28, 1998, making the country’s defence impregnable.

With demonstration of atomic capabilities, Pakistan became the first nuclear power of Islamic and 7th world power under the bold leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who stood firmly in the face of international pressures and lucrative offers of aid to abandon the plan to conduct the tests.

Youm-e-Takbeer, which literally means “the day when Allah Almighty’s name was exalted” is celebrated every year with great enthusiasm to remind the struggle and great odds Pakistan faced in achieving the nuclear capabilities despite international pressures.

As a result of the nuclear explosions, the nation had to endure economic sanctions imposed by the international community but it stood by its principled stand on the issue of achieving national deterrence.