A leading Baloch student organisation slammed the Pakistani authorities for celebrating the 28th anniversary of nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan in Balochistan’s Chagai district
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QUETTA — A leading Baloch student organisation slammed the Pakistani authorities for celebrating the 28th anniversary of nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan in Balochistan’s Chagai district, saying that the occasion symbolises displacement, environmental destruction, enforced militarisation, and the systematic erasure of Baloch identity.
Several Baloch activists carried out peaceful protests and awareness campaigns across the world against nuclear tests, which were conducted on May 28, 1998, in Chagai.
In a statement, the Baloch Student Council (BSC) of Pakistan’s Islamabad and Punjab province said, “As the campaign of 28 May reaches its conclusion, we once again remind the world that this date is not a celebration for the Baloch nation but a painful reminder of occupation, militarisation, and the continued suffering of the Baloch nation."
The group alleged that the nuclear tests conducted in Chagai were imposed without the consent of the indigenous population, turning the region into a testing ground while the voices, rights and existence of the Baloch people were ignored.
Emphasising that Balochistan has suffered the consequences of policies imposed in the name of national interests, the BSC said that the people of the province continue to face marginalisation on their own soil.
“28 May stands as a reminder of how Balochistan has been treated as a colony rather than a homeland of its people. The ongoing displacement of Baloch nation, exploitation of resources, demographic engineering and silencing of dissent reflect a broader pattern of oppression that many Baloch identify as a slow-moving genocide,” it added.
Expressing gratitude to all students, activists, journalists, and human rights defenders for raising their voices against the Chagai nuclear tests, the BSC said, “The struggle for truth, justice, dignity, and national survival will continue beyond this day. No amount of propaganda can erase the pain carried by generations of Baloch people, nor can it silence a nation determined to resist oppression and preserve its identity.”
Describing May 28 as a "dark day" in the history of Balochistan, Tara Chand, President of the Baloch American Congress, called on the global community to recognise Pakistan as a “reactionary and terrorist state" while demanding the withdrawal of its nuclear weapons.
Taking to his social media platform X, Chand said, "May 28 is a dark day in the history of Balochistan, as it marks the date in 1998 when the Pakistani state conducted a nuclear explosion in Balochistan, setting the region on a path of destruction. In Pakistan, one-third of the population suffers from mental illnesses. Therefore, we appeal to the world to recognise that Pakistan is a reactionary and terrorist state and that its nuclear weapons should be withdrawn as soon as possible."