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The Fallout From Pakistan’s Nuclear Tests

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The Fallout From Pakistan’s Nuclear Tests

May 28 is officially a “Day of Greatness” for Pakistan, but for many Balochs it’s a black day.

The Fallout From Pakistan’s Nuclear Tests

Picture taken from state Pakistan Television shows the Pakistan nuclear blast site in Chagai district of Balochistan province at the moment of detonation.

Credit: Reuters

On May 28 each year, Pakistan proudly celebrates “Youm-e-Takbir,” which translates as the “Day of Greatness,” to commemorate the country’s first successful detonation of nuclear devices. But the locals in Balochistan’s Chagai district, and citizens all across Balochistan, see May 28 as a “black day.”

The locals still suffer as a result of the nuclear explosions the Pakistani government set off in the Ras Koh mountains 19 years ago. The new generation of Baloch inhabitants in the region is plagued with serious diseases stemming from those blasts. And all in Balochistan are constantly reminded of the promises made at the time by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (then serving his second of what would be three terms, spread out over 17 years) to invest in health, education, roads, and infrastructure in the province — promises that have yet to be fulfilled.

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