How Pakistan Became an Atomic Power ?

Introduction
Pakistan's journey toward atomic status is a tale of willpower, strategic foresight, and scientific genius. The nuclear program in Pakistan started in the early 1970s and crystallized in 1998 in the first-ever nuclear tests. This article discusses the major events and factors that led Pakistan to its nuclear capability.

Early Beginnings
Origin of the Nuclear Program - Although the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission was established during the 1950s to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://historypak.com/nuclear-program/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1"). The Pakistan nuclear program began to take shape in the early 1970s under the Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "2"). The 1971 war with India and the subsequent loss of East Pakistan now Bangladesh increased Pakistan's security threats, which led Prime Minister Bhutto to focus more on nuclear weapons[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://historypak.com/nuclear-program/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1").