The nation marks 24th Youm-e-Takbeer to commemorate the astounding success of its journey to become the seventh nuclear power of the world in May 1998.
Detonation of nuclear devices on May 28, 1998 was culmination of a daring journey took on by former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to make the nation’s defense invincible against the arch rival India that orchestrated and convincingly separated the East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The program was started though with limited resources but insurmountable will and passion to ensure that the country becomes a sovereign and strong state unable to be bullied by the hostile powers.
Dreams of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as well as the nation came true in 1998 when the then Prime Minister Nawaz stood firm against all threats to include Pakistan in the nuclear club by detonating device at Chagai. It was the will and determination of our nation and the leadership that removed all hurdles on way to achieving this milestone as both the leaders later fell victims to wrath of international establishment. There was also a hidden force behind this achievement and a great hero of nation Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan who with his unflinching resolve and commitment fought out all threats to the nation and his own life.
If it was Mr Bhutto who shrugged away the threats by the then United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger of “Making Mr Bhutto a History,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif diligently faced international pressure and declined offers of monetary benefits by US President Bill Clinton. Both of these leaders had behind them the whole nation and our armed forces as a guiding force in making the country a nuclear power and giving a telling reply to Indian hegemonic designs and international conspiracies against Pakistan. However, all this could have not been possible without Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. President ZiaulHaq was also less to none in taking forward the nuclear program initiated by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and despite all reservations, the nation cannot ignore his contribution.
“The fall of Dacca in 1971 broke my heart and made me realize that without the nuclear capability Pakistan’s defense was fragile. I had a serious thinking that India will dare again to harm Pakistan’s integrity,” father of Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Dr Abdul Qadir Khan had said in his last interview. “My desire to make Pakistan a nuclear state made me to offer whole-hearted support and services to Prime Minister Bhutto for establishing the nuclear program,” he said. “Mr Bhutto reposed full trust in me and provided required paraphernalia to achieve this goal.” “It was an uphill task for me, my team and the nation in view of numerous economic challenges. But, our unwavering resolve surmounted all hurdles to make country’s defense impregnable,” Dr Khan said. “The nuclear bomb was created in the record time period of seven years by the Pakistani scientists who worked ardently round the clock to achieve this goal.”
Fully endowed with nationalism and love for his country, Dr Khan quit a lucrative job in Netherlands, came back to Pakistan and set up A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories Kahuta with a multipurpose facility used for uranium enrichment, supercomputing and fluid mechanics. The nuclear test Smiling Bhudda by India in 1974; rang alarm bells across Pakistan as the arch rival was going to take the much dominating status in the region. This threat made the nation to take on a gigantic task of preparing a nuclear bomb. This journey culminated in 1984 when Dr Khan wrote a letter to the then President ZiaulHaq in 1984 that his team had prepared the atom bomb and could conduct the explosion on a week’s notice. “President Zia met me and kissed my forehead as a gesture of respect and joy on the accomplishment and remarked that if India dared to bully we will shred it into pieces”, he added. This desire of DrQadeer and his team was fulfilled in 1998 when Pakistan gave a matching response to India’s second time aggressive design by detonating nuclear device. The decision of testing nuclear device was critical but it was befittingly handled by the then civil and military leadership.
“The decision of holding nuclear test on May 28 in response to India’s tests was most crucial for country’s independence and survival,” the then Foreign Secretary Shamshad Ahmad had remarked in his interview to a private news channel. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to hold explosions after discussion with all stakeholders.”
It was the afternoon of May 28, when a button was pressed and dark mountains of Chagai turned into dust and glowing radiant due to powerful detonation of the underground nuclear device. A short video released on this occasion clearly manifested the jubilation on the faces of those present on the occasion. But, it was not all, it was the day of jubilation for the whole nation. Even today the jubilant voice of Naara-eTakbeer and Allah-o-Akbar resounds in our ears and reminds us of our duties to always stand firm in challenging times and make our country and the nation indomitable.
