A Baloch human rights defender and representative of the Baloch National Movement, said on Wednesday that the people of Balochistan would launch a global campaign to highlight what he described as the “terrorism of Pakistan and China.“He said the campaign was a response to what he alleged were disinformation efforts by Islamabad and Beijing over India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.Mir Yar Baloch also said Pakistan was now only a “guest in Balochistan for a few more years”, claiming the statement reflected the situation “on the ground.”Mir Yar Baloch accused China of using Pakistan as a “diplomatic gun” against India over New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following last year’s Pahalgam terror attack. “China and Pakistan’s presence in Balochistan is illegal and unlawful, and both occupiers must leave the Baloch sea and surface immediately. China is attempting to use Pakistan as a diplomatic gun against India. Beijing should understand under which international law it has been permitted to join hands with Pakistan to conduct and facilitate the Baloch genocide of the Baloch people over the past 70 years for the purpose of plundering CPEC, Balochistan’s mineral resources, and its rare earth minerals,” Mir said in a post on X. Mir alleged that China has been providing Pakistan’s military and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) with drones, technology, intelligence and other forms of support, claiming the assistance had contributed to state violence, human rights abuses and the economic exploitation of Balochistan.He further alleged that China had no right to become a “direct participant in the genocide, ethnic cleansing, and slaughter of the Baloch people” in pursuit of its financial and economic interests.“China is fully aware that Balochistan has never been a part of Pakistan. Nevertheless, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, it is investing 70 billion dollars in Balochistan against the will and wishes of the Baloch people through the use of guns, tanks, artillery, and fighter aircraft, while the benefits of these investments are illegal and unlawful,” he added.Mir said China should consider that it meets nearly 90% of its oil and energy requirements through sea routes and ports in Balochistan.“The day Balochistan stands on its own feet militarily, defensively, and economically, China will no longer be able to meet 90 per cent of its oil and energy requirements through sea and land routes, and it will also lose access to Gwadar port,” Mir said.He also claimed that Pakistan’s military had suffered a severe defeat on the ground at the hands of Baloch armed groups.He claimed that the situation in Balochistan was being “distorted and misrepresented” by Pakistan’s military and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) through diplomatic channels, paid media outlets and staged seminars.Earlier this year, at least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a suicide car bomb struck a train carrying soldiers in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province.The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. The group, which seeks an independent Balochistan, says it is fighting for the province’s independence and has a suicide unit known as the Majeed Brigade.The BLA is one of several separatist groups that have been engaged in an insurgency against Pakistan’s federal government for decades. The group frequently targets security forces and infrastructure in Balochistan and has also carried out attacks in other parts of the country, including Karachi.According to Pakistan’s 2023 census, Balochistan is home to about 15 million people. The province has reserves of coal, gold, copper and natural gas. The BLA argues that the region’s natural resources should belong to the people of Balochistan and opposes the federal government’s control over resource extraction and security.
