When did India and Pakistan acquire nuclear weapons?

India and Pakistan both developed their nuclear capabilities over several decades, culminating in significant testing events in 1998.

• India: India conducted its first nuclear test on May 18, 1974, at the Pokhran test site, which it characterized as a test for peaceful purposes. Following this, India maintained a policy of not deploying nuclear weapons until it entered a third phase of its program in May 1998, when it detonated a series of nuclear devices at the same site.12

• Pakistan: Pakistan accelerated its nuclear program in the 1970s, driven by a desire to match India's capabilities. By 1988, the country possessed the technical capability to assemble a nuclear device. In response to India's 1998 tests, Pakistan conducted its own series of nuclear tests on May 28 and May 30, 1998, in the Balochistan province, confirming its status as a nuclear power.13

These developments transformed the regional territorial conflict into a complex international security concern.1