ISLAMABAD: Congratulating the nation, leadership and scientists on the anniversary of nuclear tests, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday reiterated the commitment that there would be no compromise on Pakistan’s independence, sovereignty and national interests. In a statement, the minister said that Yaum-e-Takbeer was a golden and memorable day in history of the country, when Pakistan declared that no one can enslave it. Yaum-e-Takbeer was an announcement that Pakistan was free country and will remain free. Paying her tributes to leaders from former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif, she said “Bhutto Shaheed laid the foundation of the nuclear programme while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif completed it in 1998,” she remarked. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proved to the world that we can neither be bought nor bent,” she said. The minister said that continuation of the nuclear programme was a historic proof that Pakistan had not compromised on its defense. Marriyum Aurangzeb paid tributes to everyone who was the hero of the nation, creating, nurturing and putting into practice the nuclear programme. She said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced ten days of celebrations on Yaum-e-Takbeer. The minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of economic pact on the occasion of Yaum-e-Takbeer was a historic step towards giving real economic independence to Pakistan. “Today, we salute the architect of the nuclear program, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, his team and all the scientists”, the minister said.