Story of #Pakistan becoming Nuclear state on 28th may 1998 in newspaper clippings from 1998: #Nuclear #YomeTakbir #Kashmir #یوم_تکبیر 
In the 1998 Indian general election the BJP emerged as the single-largest party and Atal Bihari Vajpayee became PM of #india on 11 may 1996 ... 2/n #یوم_تکبیر
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was member of the same #BJP who organised a rally at the site of Babri Masjid involving 150,000 volunteers, known as kar sevaks. The rally turned violent, and the crowd overwhelmed security forces and tore down the masjid 3/n #یوم_تکبیر
During the same period 1996-1998 relations between #india and united states were strengthening and both countries agreed on a bilateral trade agreement worth $10 billion dollars 4/n #یوم_تکبیر
India was stronger than pakistan in conventional war but were also developing long rage missiles, while pakistan only had short range M-11 missile for its defense 5/n #یوم_تکبیر
It was important for #Pakistan to balance the strength of indian army should develop its own short/long range missiles, on 6th april 1998 pakistan successfully conducted the test of Hatif-V also known as Ghauri ballistic missile with a range of 1500 km 6/n #یوم_تکبیر
It was stated at the time that no anti-missile system can stop this missile, with the possession of Hatif-V indian capital #delhi trading hub #mumbai, chennai, nagpur, ahmedabad, Jalandhar and jasalmir were in its range. This gave #india nightmares 7/n #یوم_تکبیر
#india was fuming over this development, #BJP who came into power on Anti-#Pakistan rhetoric were not happy, meanwhile in pakistan public and gov/mil leadership were celebrating, distributing sweets and dancing on the streets 8/N #يوم_تکبير #YomeTakbir
To shift the balance of power again in india’s favor Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided to conduct #Nuclear tests, he desired this in his election manifesto as-well. Also #pakistan’s successful missile test gave him an excuse in-front of his people and the world to go 9/n #يوم_تکبير
On 11th May 1998 #Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif was on the official tour of Kazakistan when he received the news that #india conducted three #Nuclear tests in pokhran, Rajasthan 10/n #يوم_تکبير
The day india conducted these nuclear tests, the same time defense day celebrations were going on in UAE’s embassy in #islamabad. Pakistan’s COAS General Jehangir Karamat and atomic scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan were present at the event 11/n #YomeTakbir #یوم_تکبیر
During the conversation COAS told Dr AQK: We want to conduct our own #Nuclear tests in response to #india, Dr AQK replied back “ We are Ready ” .... From PM to COAS to public everyone was ready for the blasts but there was an issue 12/n #يوم_تکبير #Pakistan #YomeTakbir
Pakistan wanted to see how the world will react to india’s nuclear tests, US stopped military aid to #india protests erupted in Japan, certain countries called back there ambassadors from india 13/n #يوم_تکبير
But all the pressure eased out as american investors who’s 7 billion $ investment was still in #india blackmailed the US gov that these sanctions will only hurt american interests 14/n #YomeTakbir #Nuclear #يوم_تکبير
But the biggest disappointment for #Pakistan came a few days later in G8 summit, instead of condoning #india G8 member #russia boosted india to do 4 more #Nuclear tests. Later india did two additional tests ... 15/n #يوم_تکبير
In the same G8 summit german chancellor spread a rumor that #Pakistan already conducted nuclear tests, this rumor spread like fire throughout the world, US UK Australia Japan all condemned pakistan 16/n #يوم_تکبير
This non-seriousness of the world gave indian PM courage to openly threat #Pakistan, now he was talking about dropping #Nuclear bomb on pakistan, situation at #LOC deteriorated, many innocent civilians at #LOC died due to indian CVF’s 17/n #یوم_تکبیر
Decision to do Nuclear test’s and the consequences of that were on the shoulders of PM Nawaz Sharif, to tell him that Clinton telephoned NS and threatened him of Sanction’s, also entice him to give $5 Billion and F-16’s money to refrain from doing nuclear tests 18/n #یوم_تکبیر
To further pressurerise pakistani civ/mil duo from refraining to go ahead with nuclear tests, US send high level delegation including head of US central command Gen Anthony Zinni and deputy secretary of state, Strobe Talbot to #Pakistan ... 19/n #یوم_تکبیر
US president Bill Clinton and UK PM Tony Blair called PM Nawaz Sharif for the last time stopping him from conducting #Nuclear tests, but NS replied that he cant promise ... 20/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
Convinced that #Pakistan will not stop, US and india tried to pass a resolution in UNSC that if any country will conduct nuclear tests, they will face Iraq type sanctions, which were very harsh. If this resolution has passed, pakistan would have never able to do N-tests ...21/n
During all this pakistan intelligence agencies received a shocking intelligence that “israel along with #india planning to hit pak atomic facilities”, later israeli chief of staff met pak ambassador in DC and deny of any such intelligence ..23/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
With mounting international pressure, domestically gov/mil were facing pressure aswell, from #ImranKhan to opposition leader #BenzairBhutto were giving tough time, even children put out a rally in #Rawalpindi ...24/n #یوم_تکبیر #YoumeTakbeer #YomeTakbir
While #Pakistan was preparing for nuclear tests: for the world peace and to stop the spread of nuclear testing, pakistan put forward a demand that if #india dismantle all its nuclear weapons, pak will not go ahead with the N-Tests, but it fell on deaf ears .. 25/n #یوم_تکبیر
In the mountain’s near #iran #Afghanistan border there was an activity going on over which the US satellites were zoomed in 24/7, yes these were the mountains of chagai, a location which pak scientists choose for #Nuclear tests some 20 years ago ... 26/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
Two reasons why chagai was chosen:
1- Due to its hot and dry weather the place was hardly populated, also the mountains of chagai were filled with graphite, which could withstand a nuclear blast .... 27/n
1- Due to its hot and dry weather the place was hardly populated, also the mountains of chagai were filled with graphite, which could withstand a nuclear blast .... 27/n
2- Due to the geography of the region it was hard for human surveillance by outside threats, only US satellites could have kept surveillance over the site.
Also pakistan intelligence agencies had an eye on every inch of chagai .. 28/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
Also pakistan intelligence agencies had an eye on every inch of chagai .. 28/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
Two L shape caves were dug inside the chagai mountains, where the bombs were kept, long wires were connected to the bombs for detonation and also for the purpose of measuring the yield of the blasts ... 29/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer #Pakistan
Pakistan was ready for nuclear tests but 4 days before the tests something devastating happened which no one was expecting, and could have put the nuclear tests in jeopardy ... 30/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer #PIAPlane
On 24th may 1998 PIA flight from turbat, #Balochistan to #Karachi took off from turbat and made a transit at #Gwadar, as the plane departed for karachi with 33 passengers and 5 crew members 3 gunman hijacked flight PK- 554 midair ... 31/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
The hijackers forced the pilot to fly towards New Delhi, India. They were also in touch with the bombay control tower, #indian gov gave permission to land near #mumbai airport ... pakistan authorities wanted to stop the plane from going to #india at any cost ..32/n #یوم_تکبیر
PAF surrounded the plane, while the pilot fooled the hijackers and instead of landing at #mumbai , the plane landed at #hyderabad Pakistan airport. Hijackers assuming they have landed in india got of the plane, where #PakArmy commando’s acting as indian surrounded the plane 33/n
Hijackers convinced that they landed in india, put forward two demands to the authorities :
1- Nuclear test will not be conducted in #balochistan
2- Release blocked funds of #balochistan immediately ... 34/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
1- Nuclear test will not be conducted in #balochistan
2- Release blocked funds of #balochistan immediately ... 34/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
The pak authorities convinced the hijackers to release women and children, also come out of the plane to negotiate, which they accepted. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army had assigned the mission of Haideri Company, 7th Commando Zarrar Battalion, SSG Division, led by Major Tariq Ahmad
and Major Aamir Saleem, codenamed "Commando Operation". SSG commando’s successfully captured the 3 hijackers alive ... 35/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer #PakArmy #SSG #Commondos
During investigation hijackers confessed that they were RAW agents and bribed gwadar airport staff 1 lac rupee to board plane with weapons. The three hijackers were identified as Shahsawar Baloch, Sabir Baloch and Shabir Baloch ...36/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
They also confessed that they wanted to take the plane from #mumbai to #NewDelhi, where they planned to hold live press conference on Tv and put the demands in front of the whole world, but #PakArmy decimated there plans ... 37/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer #YomeTakbir
This was the moment when #Pakistan was completely ready for the #Nuclear tests, pakistan took #China and #SaudiArabia into confidence and told the whole world “ ROOK SAKU TU ROOK LO” ... 🇵🇰☝🏻 38/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
On 28th May 1998 Thursday #PakArmy surrounded the 100 Km area around chagai, PAF fighter jets started air patrolling over chagai, due to possible #indian attack major indian cities kept on ballistic missile’s target ... 39/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
At 03:16 PM PST the mountains of chagai erupted with 5 #Nuclear blasts, this was Chagai-1 ... 40/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer #YomeTakbir
On 30th may 1998 #Pakistan conducted another #Nuclear test, this was Chagai-2, pakistan conducted 6 N-tests to 5 of #india and became the 7th Nuclear country in the world, also the first and only #Muslim nuclear country worldwide .. 41/n #یوم_تکبیر #YomeTakbeer
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