ISLAMABAD, May 28 (DNA): Chairman of Senate’s Defence Committee Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Saturday said Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had taken a bold, courageous and timely decision to conduct nuclear tests on May 28, 1998 to ensure deterrence to the country’s defence.Addressing a function organized by Strategic Studies Institute Islamabad in connection the with anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests, Mushahid Hussain Sayed said due to timely decision to conduct nuclear test on this day in 1998, provided a strategic strengthen to Pakistan and it also equalized the military strengthen in the region.

Senator Mushahid said the civil and military leadership jointly decided to respond India through conducting nuclear tests at that time despite tremendous international pressure.

He said Pakistan rejected international pressure and even not accepted American financial aid, to stop the nuclear tests, as it was in national interest and Pakistan took the right and timely decision to conduct nuclear tests which were in respond to India’s tests.

Mushahid said India conducted nuclear tests to prove its hegemony and to lead the region with force, but Pakistan had to conduct nuclear tests to improve its defence and respond the Indian nuclear tests only to improve its security.

He said due to successful nuclear tests, now Pakistan had been playing a pivotal role in the region and had become an important country in the region due to equalization of military strength.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif deserved the real credit for nuclear tests, which he conducted despite international pressure. He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had laid the foundation of the nuclear programme, which continued in the following governments and finally Pakistan became seventh nuclear power of the world with the nuclear tests conducted on May 28, 1998.

Replying to a question, Senator Mushahid said there was absolutely no negative repercussion of the nuclear test, and there was positive benefits to Pakistan for this nuclear test.

Referring to the role of media, before and after the nuclear tests in 1998, Senator Mushahid said media played a very effective and positive role in projecting the aspirations of people from all walks of life in favour and against the nuclear tests and the government at that time took the decision in better national interest.

“Now we are playing a pivotal role in the region only due to being a nuclear power which we got in 1998, and it was the unanimous decision of military and civil leadership of that time,” he said.

The head of Strategic Studies Institute Islamabad Dr Shireen Mazari, speaking on the occasion, said the decision of Pakistan to conduct nuclear tests in 1998 was very important, right and courageous decision by the government at that time.

She said this decision provided a strategic strength to Pakistan to improve its defence and play a pivotal role in the regional politics on equal basis. DNA

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