PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif did well by announcing a public holiday on the occasion of ‘Yaum-e-Takbeer’, observed on May 28, to remember the day when Pakistan detonated its nuclear device and became a nuclear power. The nation surely has a point in feeling proud over this great achievement that made the defence of the country invincible in the backdrop of continued threats to its security, especially from the eastern border. As pointed out by the Prime Minister, on this day, the entire nation vowed for the integrity of this country that no compromise will be made by accepting any kind of external pressure on the country’s defence.
Propaganda of our enemies notwithstanding, Pakistan is a peace-loving country with no aggressive designs against any other country. Throughout its history, the country demonstrated its desire and determination to have good relations with all countries, especially its neighbours but it is also a reality that Pakistan always faced existential threat due to hegemonic and aggressive designs of India. Pakistan’s security threat is not a perception but a ground reality as four wars were imposed on it and its eastern wing was separated through Indian invasion. India has also forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a state at the time of partition, which should have joined Pakistan under the agreed principles of the partition. Pakistan’s security concern exacerbated when India carried out its first nuclear test in 1974 and turned a blind eye to a host of proposals floated by Pakistan on different occasions to make South Asia a nuclear weapons free zone. Credit goes to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who took a political decision to go nuclear to counter the Indian threat and assigned the task of making the defence of the country impregnable to the legendary nuclear scientist Dr. A.Q. Khan. ZA Bhutto is legitimately considered as father of the country’s nuclear programme but it is also a fact that almost all governments and leaders put their weight behind the programme, on which there was complete national consensus. Pakistan’s nuclear programme remained the target of propaganda and hostile actions by some world powers but hats off to the commitment and hard work of thousands of scientists, engineers and technicians who contributed their share to make Pakistan the only Muslim nuclear power. This newspaper is proud to be in the forefront of efforts to counter this propaganda and put the country’s nuclear programme in its right perspective. Its founding Editor-in-Chief late Zahid Malik authored two famous books on Pakistan’s nuclear programme, which are considered to be authentic account of different phases of the programme, its rationale and how various milestones were achieved despite a highly hostile environment. It is also known to all that despite achieving the capability to explode its device, Pakistan exercised utmost restraint for the sake of regional peace, security and stability. However, things changed dramatically when India again carried out nuclear tests on May 11, 1998, which disturbed the balance of power in South Asia. The development was followed by a surge in the aggressive designs of India as it not only showed its intentions of sending armed forces to Azad Kashmir, with the convergence of the army on the Line of Control, but its Defence Minister also announced that the Indian Army would be armed with nuclear weapons. After internal consultations and careful consideration of the entire situation, the then Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif took a courageous decision to go for a tit-for-tat response to Indian nuclear tests. Successful Chaghai tests sent a strong message to anti-Pakistan forces that the country has the ability and will to safeguard its sovereignty against all odds and threats. While observing the day, the nation has, once again, expressed its determination to stand firmly behind its defence forces that are fully resolved to defend the motherland, protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensure the nation’s security at all times and at any cost. Pakistan is pursuing a policy of minimum credible deterrence and the nation hopes the deterrence would be kept relevant despite foreign pressures and economic vulnerabilities of the country.
