Pakistan Marks Youm-e-Takbeer with Tributes to Nuclear Test Legacy
Pakistani officials and public figures on Thursday marked Youm-e-Takbeer, the anniversary of Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests at Chagai, with tributes emphasising the tests' enduring significance for the country's national security and strategic sovereignty. Federal Minister Wajiha Qamar was among the officials who addressed the occasion, describing the Chagai tests as a defining moment that secured Pakistan's dignity and defence.
Pakistan conducted a series of underground nuclear tests at the Chagai Hills in Balochistan on 28 May 1998, becoming the seventh country in the world to demonstrate nuclear capability. The tests were a direct response to India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests conducted earlier that month and fundamentally altered the strategic balance in South Asia.
Officials used the anniversary to reaffirm Pakistan's commitment to maintaining a credible minimum deterrence posture and to underscore the role of the country's strategic programme in preserving regional stability. The occasion is observed annually as a national day of pride and strategic reflection.
The commemorations come against a backdrop of continuing tensions in South Asia, lending added resonance to the anniversary messaging from government officials and the military establishment.
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