Do you remember after India acquired nukes, the kind of threats that came from India? It's stance towards Pakistan completely changed.
Aside from the celebrations in India and the 'middle-finger' to your enemies that goes with it, some sections of your media were not too 'friendly' to Pakistan, nor were the people on the streets celebrating.
On a more official level, Mr L. K. Advani the pro-nuclear Indian home minister made statements showing India's intention to cross the Line of Control in Kashmir under the pretext of 'hot pursuit'.
If that was not enough... These statements were supported and often repeated by Indian-occupied Kashmir's chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. The Indian Corps Commander in Kashmir Lt. Gen Kishan Pal addressed an unprecedented news conference to advocate his plans of attacking Azad Kashmir territory across the Line of Control. Again we can't just assume that this wasn't approved by some folks in New Delhi, can't say it was either.
If this wasn't enough, there was a confirmed report by the Pakistan Army intel that India had moved an extra infantry division. People who served at the time say that the Indian army was seen to dump artillery and other ammunition into forward locations.
Of course I strongly believe that there wouldn't have been a war, but for sure Indian Armed forces' morale was sky high, they felt powerful, superior and somewhat untouchable. Skirmishes could have led from one thing to another. Pakistan then had to test, but Pakistan too couldn't test until India did, we had the ability to do so many years prior to the actual test, but obviously we need to have the right conditions for us to test and a damn good reason to do so.
and we have that!
However. And this is the part where I'd like you to enlighten me (I usually try to be as neutral as a can, sometimes be a bit reasonable about Pakistan and remembering never to underestimate or misunderstand our adversary)....
What reason did India have to test nukes?
There was no threat to India from her much smaller neighbours, Pakistan possibly the only small neighbour out of the lto that coul cause any trouble at all, BUT there had been no change on the borders, no skirmishes, not even as much as a cold stare. Bangladesh, Lanka, Nepal? Nopes.
Now this is where you'd be thinking... China!
But the PLA's army Chief had visited India and there was an agreement for mutual reduction of troops along their common border.
Furthermore, by carrying out the nukes tests India demolished any defense parity in the region.
Since there were no visible ballistic missiles in the sub continent, there was an undeclared mutual capability for decades.
In 1998, this was all gone, India immediately emerged seeming like a superpower who could annihilate Pakistan at the push of a button. Remember that the activity along the border 27 years was oh so quiet compared to that of the 24 years following 1947's troubles.
So to sum up my argument...
India IMO had no reason to test the nukes, also it was done at a time where the tests seemed out of the blue and left Pakistan and it's citizens feeling rather vulnerable. Secondly, the response for the nuke test by some Indian ministers, media and general public were none too re-assuring to say the least. Then the intel reports on Indian activity and the sudden change towards it's stance on Pakistan.
