Pakistan’s Nuclear Program
Pakistan’s Nuclear Program: The heat of May 1998 and the brightness of the sun were a bit more, or perhaps more so because the subcontinent’s political, defense and strategic climate was also very hot. Shortly after India detonated three Nuclear warheads in Pokhara on May 11, pressure mounted on the Pakistani government and decision-makers. It was two-way pressure, internal and external. There were people who wanted an immediate response to India’s nuclear blasts, and the world’s major powers wanted to stop Pakistan from doing so at any cost. The Pakistani rulers were still in their sixties when India detonated two more bombs on May 13. The eyes of the whole world were on Pakistan.
Moreover, On the one hand, there were the people whose emotions were not going away. International powers were trying to deter Pakistan from retaliating through greed and threats of sanctions, while Indian rulers and politicians were provoking and threatening Pakistan with provocative statements in the morning and evening. There were no private TV channels in those days, but the sensational work carried out by newspapers, especially the afternoon and evening newspapers. Hours later, new supplements were circulating in the streets and bazaars with headlines about whether or not there was an explosion. Then, on May 28, Pakistan detonated five bombs and declared itself the world’s seventh-largest nuclear power.
Along with these explosions, Pakistan’s nuclear journey also reached a milestone, which has been going on for the last several decades despite going through different periods and difficulties.
Launch of Pakistan’s nuclear program
After independence, Pakistan did not hint at building a nuclear weapon, and in 1953, Foreign Minister Zafarullah Khan officially issued a policy statement not to build an atomic bomb. However, he expressed interest in launching a nuclear program for energy production.
Memorandum with the United States
Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States in 1953 on the use of nuclear technology and construction of reactors for industrial and peaceful purposes.
Establishment of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Following the US support for the Atomic Peace Policy in 1953 and the subsequent memorandum on the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Pakistan formally established the Atomic Energy Commission in 1953 to promote its nuclear program.
Uranium exploration
Pakistan launched a uranium exploration project between 1960 and 1963, setting up two centers in Lahore and Dhaka. After finding uranium deposits in Dera Ghazi Khan, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission began extracting it.
India’s nuclear weapons
In 1965, Pakistani institutions learned that India was making progress in developing nuclear weapons. On which the then Foreign Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and President Ayub Khan met the Pakistani Engineer Munir Ahmad Khan of the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, he temporarily decided not to build a nuclear weapon.
Pakistan’s first nuclear reactor
Pakistan installed the first civilian nuclear reactor in 1972 with the help of Canada. “We will eat grass, we will make atom bombs.” After the secession of East Pakistan in 1973, Pakistani authorities began to think that acquiring nuclear weapons was necessary to compete with India. When India detonated a nuclear bomb in 1974, then-Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto called it inevitable and said that Pakistan would build an atomic bomb in any case, even if it meant eating grass.
Establishment of Kahuta Laboratory
In 1974, Canada ended its nuclear cooperation with Pakistan over the nuclear non-proliferation dispute. And, In the same year, Pakistan set up Kahuta Research Laboratories for uranium enrichment and Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan started work on uranium enrichment.
Suspension of US aid
In 1979, the United States suspended military and economic aid to Pakistan, saying that Pakistan’s nuclear program was not peaceful.
Claims to develop nuclear fuel
Pakistan claimed in 1980 that it had become one of the world’s leading producers of uranium-based nuclear fuel.
Restoration of US aid
The United States lifted sanctions on economic and military aid to Pakistan in 1982 following political and military upheavals in the region.
Re-imposition of sanctions
The United States again imposed economic and military sanctions on Pakistan in 1990 for continuing its nuclear program.
Nuclear missile tests
India tested a nuclear warhead-carrying surface-to-air missile in 1996. In response, Pakistan tested the Ghauri nuclear missile in April 1998.
India’s nuclear blasts
India detonated a series of nuclear bombs on May 11 and 13, 1998. After the bombings, India started making threatening statements to Pakistan. Pakistan’s political and public circles demanded a response from India. In view of the situation, the government of Pakistan also decided to carry out a nuclear blast, on which several countries moved forward to prevent Pakistan from carrying out a nuclear blast. In fact, Different methods were adopted for this. It was a difficult time, there was a lot of pressure on the then Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. But soon the government decided bluntly and chose Chaghi hill in Balochistan for the blasts.
Pakistan’s nuclear explosion
On the morning of May 28, 1998, all Pakistani military installations were placed on high alert. A 10-member team including Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. Ashfaq, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr. Samar Mubarak, and four scientists from Kahuta Research Laboratories arrived at the observation post 10 km away from the blast site. The firing button was pressed at 3:16 a.m., after which the automatic process of detonation began in six stages.
Yum Takbir
May 28 was named ‘Yom Takbir’ after the nuclear blasts by Pakistan. From this day onwards, celebrations are organized across the country to celebrate May 28 as Yom Takbir.
You may also like to read: Father of Pakistan’s nuclear program’ Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
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