When Pakistan became Nuclear State?

Pakistan officially became a nuclear state in 1998. On May 28, 1998, Pakistan conducted five simultaneous underground nuclear tests at Ras Koh Hills in the Chagai District of Balochistan. This event, known as "Chagai-I," was a direct response to India's nuclear tests earlier that month. These tests demonstrated Pakistan's nuclear deterrence capability, establishing it as the seventh country in the world to publicly declare and demonstrate its nuclear weapons status, fundamentally altering the strategic landscape of South Asia.

• 1996 and 1997 predate Pakistan's public nuclear tests and declaration of nuclear status.
• 1995 is also incorrect as Pakistan had not yet conducted its nuclear tests in that year. The decision and execution of the tests occurred later in response to regional developments.