The news set off street celebrations in Islamabad, with joyful Pakistanis shooting their guns into the air. In New Delhi, the Indian capital, it sent parliament into an uproar, with opposition lawmakers leaping from their seats to blame the government for setting off a nuclear arms race on the subcontinent. Pakistan had been under enormous pressure from across the political spectrum to explode a nuclear device since the Indian tests. Sharif said today that India had violently upset the regional balance of power, so Pakistan matched India exactly by setting off its own five tests. Sharif said Pakistan had been tremendously patient with India, and could have set off the underground tests 20 years ago if it had chosen to do so.
China is believed to have aided Pakistan's nuclear program.
The strongest test today registered a preliminary magnitude of 4.9, according to the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center. In announcing the explosions, Pakistan said it was giving nuclear muscle to the Ghauri missile, which it tested April 6. The missile has a range of 900 miles, making it capable of striking most parts of India. Vajpayee had argued that India needed a nuclear deterrent because Pakistan had a secret weapons program. In Washington, President Clinton expressed disappointment about Pakistan's nuclear tests and concern over the prospect of escalating tensions in South Asia.