LAHORE - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be the chief guest at a ceremony to be held here today to celebrate the 16th anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear explosions.
Editor-in-Chief The Nation Dr Majid Nizami will preside over the ceremony being organised jointly by the Nazaria Pakistan Trust and the Tehrik-i-Pakistan Workers Trust at Aiwan-i-Karkunan Tehrik-i-Pakistan, Madre Millat Park. Mr Sharif was the prime minister when Pakistan had established itself as a nuclear power by carrying out tests on this day in 1998 in response to the ones conducted by India. Wednesday’s will be the first important function to be addressed by the prime minister after his return from a two-day visit to India, where he had gone to participate in the swearing-in of Nirendra Modi as the new head of government.
Mr Sharif held an important meeting with the new Indian leader, which is expected to set the direction for a new relationship between the two nuclear powers. The prime minister is expected to shed light on the matters he discussed with his Indian counterpart.  Pakistan was willing to give the Most Favoured Nation status to India a few months ago, but deferred the plan because of elections there. However, now as most people are opposed to the government giving India MFN status, the authorities are planning to give Non-Discriminatory Market Access (NDMA) to India.
The NDMA will give India the same facilities and privileges which are available to a state with the MFN status.