ISLAMABAD, May 27: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday declared a public holiday on May 28 to mark Youm-e-Takbeer, the day when Pakistan’s defence became impregnable after nuclear tests in the hills of Chagai, Balochistan in the year 1998.
“Youm-e-Takbeer reminds how the entire Pakistani nation got united on that day to make the country’s defence invincible,” the prime minister said in a statement issued by the PM House.
On the day in 1998, he said, the nation decided that there would be no compromise on the country’s integrity and defence by not yielding to any external pressure.
Both the political and defence forces got united on the day under the National Flag to strengthen the country’s defence, he added.
PM Shehbaz said it was the day of renewing pledge that “we will always remain ready to thwart the nefarious designs of both external and internal enemies, who want to endanger the country”.
“May 28 is also the day of paying tributes to the steps taken by the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Army to make the national defence invincible.”
“We also pay tribute to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for initiating the atomic programme and the scientists who played a key role in continuing it,” the prime minister remarked.
He said on the day, the entire nation including himself resolved that the way the national defence was made invincible on May 28, 1998, “we will make the country’s economical stable and prosper through sheer hard work”.
