Thread by @HammadSGill

Thread:
On 28th May 1998, Pakistan🇵🇰 conducted its 5 nuclear tests in response to Indian🇳🇪 nuclear tests on 11 & 13 May 1998. India had already conducted cold tests in 1974 which started to disturb the balance of power in South Asia. It triggered Pak to get its own nuke.
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President Z.A. Bhutto forcefully advocated the nuclear option when he got intelligence reports of India's nuclear program and famously said in 1965 that "if India builds the bomb, we will eat grass or leaves, even go hungry, but we will get one of our own".
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#یوم_تکبیر

But President General Ayub Khan rejected Bhutto's plan for the nuclear program. After Pakistan’s defeat in the December 1971 conflict with India, Bhutto issued a directive instructing the country's nuclear establishment to build a nuclear device within three years.
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Although the PAEC had already created a taskforce under Chirman PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan to work on a nuclear weapon in March 1974, India’s first test of a nuclear bomb in May 1974 played a significant role in motivating Pakistan to build its own.

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Around 1975, A.Q. Khan, a metallurgist working at a subsidiary of the URENCO enrichment corporation in the Netherlands, returned to Pakistan to help his country develop a uranium enrichment program.
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Having brought centrifuge designs and business contacts back with him to Pakistan, Khan used various tactics, such as buying individual components rather than complete units, to evade export controls and acquire the necessary equipment.

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By the early 1980s, Pakistan had a clandestine uranium enrichment facility, and A.Q. Khan would later assert that the country had acquired the capability to assemble a first-generation nuclear device as early as 1984.

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It is believed by mid-1980's Pakistan had built its first nuclear weapon. In fact A.Q Khan said by mid 1988 nukes were not only built but were also targeted at New Delhi.
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In his formal visit to India President General Zia-ul-Haq threatened India of nuclear strike. He said, “Mr. Rajiv, you want to invade Pakistan? Ok fine go ahead! But remember 1 thing that after that people will forget Changez & Hilaku Khan and will remember Zia & Rajiv"
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After India's test in 1998, PM Nawaz Shairf had public pressure to conduct tests. A.Q Khan also played a major role in convincing him to conduct a test. US offered 5billion $ to Pak if it doesn't conduct nuclear tests. But on 28th May PM ordered PAEC to conduct tests.
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Chaghi, an area of Balochistan, was selected for tests because it was safe & uninhabited. On 28th May, Pakistan conducted 5 Nuclear tests. A wide range of Chaghi mountains were converted into ashes. These tests were given the name of Chaghi-I.These were uranium based tests.
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On 30th May, Pakistan conducted another nuclear test which was given the name of Chaghi-II. It was a plutonium based test.After that economic sanctions were imposed on Pak according to Pressler Amendment.On the other hand, a number of Muslim countries congratulated PM Nawaz.
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Pakistan currently possesses a growing nuclear arsenal, and remains outside both the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).It also is the sole country blocking negotiations of the FMCT
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Hans Kristensen and Robert Norris characterize Pakistan as having, "the world's fastest-growing nuclear stockpile." According to the SIPRI 2018 Yearbook, Pakistan possesses between 150 and 160 nuclear weapon".
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Pakistan has stockpiled approximately 3.4 ± 0.4 metric tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU), and produces enough HEU for perhaps 10 to 15 warheads per year.

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References:
1) "Pakistan’s Nuclear Bomb: A Story of Defiance, Deterrence and Deviance" by Hassan Abbas

2) "Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons" by Adrian Levy & Cathy Scott-Clark

3)Making the Bomb:Pakistan's nuclear journey by SH Qazi

4) Eating Grass: The Making of the Pakistani Bomb by Feroz Hassan Khan

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