PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter on Friday celebrated the Youm-i-Takbeer on the 23rd anniversary of the nuclear tests successfully carried out by Pakistan in 1998.

A cake-cutting ceremony was held in Peshawar, where PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam was the chief guest.

The speakers paid tribute to the scientists and engineers, who, they said, played a role in making the country’s defence impervious to foreign aggression through successful nuclear tests.

Mr Muqam said the credit of making the country a nuclear power went to PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who bravely rejected the US offer of financial package and carried out nuclear explosions to make the country strong in true sense of the term.

He said Pakistan was a nuclear state but faced serious economic issues due to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government’s flawed policies.

The PML-N leader said Prime Minister Imran Khan had breached his promise of breaking the begging bowl and surrendered the country to the IMF.

He condemned the atrocities of the Indian forces against the people in the occupied Kashmir and alleged that the PTI government was least bothered about highlighting those excesses at international level.

Mr Muqam said his party would continue raising the issues of the oppressed Kashmiris at all available forums.

The PML-N leaders, including Rashid Mehmood, Malik Nadeem and others, were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2021