Baloch human rights activist urges Trump to reconsider US ties with Pakistan

Quetta: Leading Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch writes to US President Donald Trump, urging the recognition and support for Balochistan, and calling on Washington to fundamentally reevaluate its relationship with the “radical state” of Pakistan.

“We bring to your attention the upcoming visit of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, who leads an institution widely involved in gross human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan. The Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency, the ISI, are not only responsible for the enforced disappearance of more than 40,000 Baloch civilians but have also long been linked to sheltering global terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden, who lived in Pakistan for nearly a decade under the supervision of the rogue army and the ISI,” the letter stated.

“We respectfully urge you to ask General Munir: On what legal or moral grounds does Pakistan claim Balochistan’s natural wealth as its own? Can he point to any similar reserves on the map of Punjab province, the true heartland of Pakistan’s military elite?” it added.

Addressing the US President on behalf of Baloch community, Mir said that Balochistan is “an ancient sovereign nation under illegal occupation by Pakistan and Iran” and despite being rich in terms of rare earth minerals, oil, gas, strategic geography, air bases and sea ports, people continue to suffer “under oppressive regimes” that suppress their “secular and peaceful traditions”.

Mir asserted that the US made a critical error after 9/11 by trusting Pakistan, “a state that has repeatedly played a double game”. Instead of empowering secular groups like the Baloch, Sindhi, and Pashtun who actively resist extremism, he stated that the previous US administrations have enabled Pakistan’s military establishment, which harbours terrorists and fosters radicalism.

Human rights activists have raised concerns that training centres for several terrorist outfits, such as ISIS and Daesh, supervised by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, have increased in recent months, posing a greater threat to regional and global security.

Mir emphasised that continued blind trust in the Pakistani military that “exports extremism and suppresses legitimate aspirations” of the 60 million Baloch people is tantamount to encouraging Pakistan to undermine both regional stability and US interests.

“The Baloch people have always upheld a tradition of religious tolerance and coexistence. We hold no animosity toward Hindus, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, or followers of any other faith. In contrast, elements within the Pakistan military and its intelligence agency, the ISI, have consistently exploited radical religious groups to promote anti-Western sentiment, often orchestrating public demonstrations where slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” are openly chanted,” the letter detailed.

Referring to Pakistan, Mir questioned whether “the US will continue to provide support to a state apparatus that enables such hostility and fosters extremism, often at the expense of American values and global security.”

The human rights activist urged the Trump administration to initiate direct dialogue with the “exiled, pro-independence Baloch leadership and representatives who are committed to peace, economic development, and regional stability, under the leadership of Baloch nationalist leader Hyrbyair Marri, President of the Free Balochistan Movement.”

“Establishing such engagement would align America’s long-term geopolitical and economic interests with a nation striving for justice, peace, and the democratic liberation of resource-rich Balochistan. With sincere hopes for your leadership and attention to this just cause,” the letter concluded.

IANS