Desk : The Baloch National Movement (BNM) organized a protest rally and awareness campaign in Amsterdam on the occasion of Youm-e-Asrokh (Black Day), marking Pakistan’s 1998 nuclear tests conducted in Chaghi, Balochistan. The demonstration highlighted what the group described as long-term humanitarian, environmental, and health consequences of the nuclear explosions.
According to a statement shared by the BNM on social media platform X, the rally began at Amsterdam Central Station and concluded at Dam Square. The procession reportedly included Baloch activists and supporters carrying Baloch national flags and placards criticising Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Protesters also called for greater international attention to the alleged impact of the 1998 tests on local communities in Balochistan.
Visuals from the protest showed demonstrators marching through central Amsterdam holding banners with slogans such as “Balochistan Still Pays the Price of Nuclear Testing.” Some banners claimed that the effects of the nuclear detonations continue to affect multiple generations in the region. Participants also distributed informational leaflets and engaged with the public to raise awareness about what they described as environmental damage linked to the Chaghi tests conducted on May 28, 1998.
At Dam Square, speakers addressed the gathering and accused Pakistan of using Balochistan as a testing site without adequate consideration for local populations. They urged international human rights organisations and global institutions to investigate the alleged ecological and health impacts associated with the nuclear explosions.
The Amsterdam protest formed part of a wider campaign by the BNM to observe Black Day and highlight grievances related to Balochistan. Similar awareness events were reportedly held by the group’s UK chapter in cities including London, Manchester, and Cambridge, focusing on environmental concerns, health issues, and socio-economic challenges faced by communities near the Chaghi test site.
Separately, referencing official nuclear data, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s first nuclear power reactor, Karachi-1 (KANUPP-1), is located at Paradise Point in Sindh province, approximately 25 km west of Karachi. The 100 MWe Canadian-designed pressurized heavy water reactor has been part of Pakistan’s early nuclear energy infrastructure.