The early morning call came with a chill that cut deeper than the cool Balochistani air.
General Ayub Khan, Pakistan's military chief, was in his office when the phone rang, the sharp sound breaking the usual quiet of dawn.
He picked it up, expecting a routine briefing, but the panicked voice on the other end instantly set his pulse racing.
"Sir… there's been an explosion. Chagai Hills... the facility... it's gone."
For a moment, Ayub's mind blanked.
His grip tightened around the phone as he processed the words, unable to believe what he was hearing. "What did you say?"
The officer on the other end stammered, "The nuclear facility, sir. It's destroyed. There were... explosions. It's all gone. Completely leveled."
His face tightened as he tried to process the catastrophe that had just been reported to him.
Chagai Hills, the secret lifeblood of Pakistan's nuclear ambitions, was gone.
