India and Pakistan declared themselves nuclear weapon states when they tested atomic bombs in 1998.

NPR: Nuclear Weapons Gain Importance for Regional Powers

According to Brahma Chellaney, a noted expert on nuclear and security issues at the Center for Policy Research in Delhi, "threshold" is not a technical term but an expression coined by analysts to describe countries that have successfully conducted weapons tests but have not declared themselves to be nuclear states.

CNN: OUT OF THE CLOSET

Notably, at the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York where this statement was unveiled, some among the roughly 500 participating non- governmental organizations (NGOs) declared their intention to ask the World Court to order the nuclear weapon states to set a timetable for complete nuclear disarmament.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center for Security Policy | Clinton Must Cease and Desist�� Efforts to Conclude Flawed Arms Control Accords