On the day, May 28, 1998, Pakistan detonated its first-ever nuclear devices, then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, through two separate letters, informed the US President and the UN Secretary General about carrying out the tests, a recently launched book read. “Testing Times as Foreign Minister” authored by Gohar Ayub Khan carried the facsimiles of these two undisclosed letters, among others. “Having exhausted all options and left with no choice, we have in our supreme national interest decided to exercise the nuclear option. This decision, which I have taken with a heavy heart, was necessitated by the imperatives of self-defense and to deter aggression against sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of our country,” the letter said. The fairly lengthy letter to the then US President, Bill Clinton, further said, “while I was deeply appreciative of your personal understanding of our security concerns, the overall international response to India's crossing of the nuclear threshold was regrettably deferential, bordering on acquiescence. We saw a familiar pattern whereby India's incremental steps on the nuclear and ballistic ladder had only generated pressures and even punitive actions against Pakistan.” In its opening, the letter said, “. . . our telephonic conversations in the past fortnight convinced me of your sincerity and your genuine concern for Pakistan's security and the stability of the region.” The overt nuclear weaponization of India has created a strategic imbalance, emboldening Indian leadership to hold out threats of nuclear blackmail against Pakistan and aggression across the line of control in Kashmir, the letter said adding that “as advised by you and other friends, we pondered hard and deliberated carefully on our dire security, predicament. Determined to act with utmost responsibility, we also closely evaluated the international reaction, which regrettably did not factor the threat to our security and to regional peace and stability.” The letter said, “at this critical juncture, at which our very life and existence are at stake, the people of Pakistan were unanimous in demanding that we seek to rectify the strategic imbalance resulting from nuclear weaponization by India. “For more than twenty years, Pakistan advocated in all earnest the goal of nuclear nonproliferation. Our impeccable record of restraint and responsibility never earned us any approbation. Selective sanctions only served to degrade our conventional capabilities and produced a totally untenable security equation between Pakistan and India. The evident selectivity in the pursuit of the global nonproliferation goals, without any regard to the underlying security problems that impel proliferation, had incensed our people.” In his letter to the UN chief, Nawaz Sharif stated that he had on 23 May 1998 drawn his attention to the extremely grave situation prevailing in the region and the magnitude of the threat posed to Pakistan's security. Several portions of this relatively brief letter were precisely the same that formed part of the communication to Clinton. “We regret that the United Nations did not take appropriate cognizance of the impending breach of peace in our region. The Security Council”s Presidential Statement of 14 May, 1998 focused mainly on the global nonproliferation issues and failed to address the security situation in our region.” A week before conducting the nuclear tests, the prime minister wrote to Clinton that in the wake of their nuclear tests, the Indians have not tried to keep even a pretence of acting as a responsible or mature “power”. The tests have been followed up by serious threats to Pakistan's security with demands that “Islamabad should realize the change in the geo-strategic situation in the region” and threats that India will “deal firmly and strongly with Pakistan”. The Indian Prime Minister has even gone to the extent of declaring that India would be prepared to use the nuclear weapons in a situation of conflict. In this context, it is clear that the Indian nuclear tests have seriously upset the strategic balance and emboldened India to openly assert its hostile intentions towards Pakistan.” Continuing the letter said, “... we are also disappointed that your initative to restrain India from its aggressive designs has found little resonance across the globe. Already we are hearing influential voices arguing about the futility of sanctions against India and urging that it be recognized as the sixth nuclear weapons state. At this critical juncture, it is imperative the United Stated realize that the peace and stability of our region is being endangered by India's hegemonistic designs. They are recklessly raising the tensions to a very high level by their provocative actions. This situation is fraught with grave danger. The US would no doubt caution the world about the severe consequences of continued appeasement of India, which is now being advocated.” Immediately after the Indian detonations, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wrote a letter to the G8 countries on May 13, 1998. It said, “the nuclear testing by India of a whole range of weaponry, including systems which are Pakistan specific, has multiplied manifold the immediacy and the magnitude of threat to our security. . .I had in April 1998 drawn your attention to the consequences that “would ensue from India, induction of nuclear weapons. We are disappointed that our warnings were not heeded. The latest events have proved us completely right. We are once again being asked to exercise restraint at an extremely critical juncture on matters involving national security and survival. I trust that you would recognize and be receptive to Pakistan's legitimate needs for self
