• President, PM, services chiefs praise nation’s nuclear journey
• Public meetings held across country, AJK, GB

ISLAMABAD: The nation observed Youm-i-Takbeer on Wednesday, celebrating victory in the Marka-i-Haq while confronting Indian aggression on May 10.

Youm-i-Takbeer is observed on May 28 to commemorate the historic day in 1998 when Pakistan joined the ranks of nuclear powers after atomic tests in the hills of Chagai, Balochistan. Pakistan became the seventh nuclear nation in the world and the first Muslim state to have a nuclear arsenal, after successfully detonating its nuclear weapons.

Flag-hoisting ceremonies and public rallies were held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Balitistan to mark the day.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in their separate statements, on Wednesday emphasised their commitment to safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the occasion of Youm-i-Takbeer.

The president highlighted that Pakistan’s nuclear capability remains a credible deterrent ensuring peace and security.

Prime Minister Sharif praised the nation’s nuclear journey while urging unity to transform Pakistan into an economic power.

He connected this year’s commemoration with the country’s recent defence against an unjustified conflict imposed by India and encouraged the nation to extend the spirit of Youm-i-Takbeer to economic advancements.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and the services chiefs, also extended their heartfelt felicitations to the nation on the 27th anniversary of Youm-i-Takbeer.

According to an ISPR statement, Youm-i-Takbeer commemorates the momentous occasion in 1998 when Pakistan emerged as a nuclear power, restoring the strategic balance in South Asia and asserting its sovereign right to self-defence.

The armed forces reiterated their “unflinching resolve to defend the motherland against all threats across the full spectrum of conflict”, according to a Dawn.com report.

‘Emblem of national pride’

Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS) on Wednesday held an event to celebrate Pakistan’s emergence as a nuclear state.

Speaking on the occasion, PESS central president retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum said that Youm-i-Takbeer was a shining emblem of national pride, determination and resolve.

He recalled that May 28, 1998 was the day when Pakistan gave a tit-for-tat response to India’s five nuclear tests with six, rejecting all international pressures to achieve strategic sovereignty. He said the nuclear tests, which made the country’s defence impregnable, were a clear message to the world that Pakistan will never compromise on its security.

Gen Qayyum while referring to recent regional developments involving India’s unprovoked attacks on civilians and a telling response by Pakistan, said Islamabad demonstrated to the world that it is a responsible nuclear state.

With input from APP

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2025