Should Trump Reassess US Relations with Pakistan Over Balochistan?

Quetta, Aug 8 (NationPress) Prominent Baloch human rights advocate Mir Yar Baloch has addressed a letter to US President Donald Trump, calling for recognition and support for Balochistan, while urging Washington to critically reassess its ties with the "radical state" of Pakistan.

In the letter, he highlights the impending visit of Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, who oversees an institution notorious for gross human rights abuses in Pakistan-occupied Balochistan. He points out that the Pakistan Army and its intelligence agency, the ISI, are implicated in the enforced disappearances of over 40,000 Baloch civilians. Furthermore, they have a history of harboring international terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden, who lived in Pakistan for nearly a decade under the protection of the rogue army and the ISI.

Mir urges President Trump to question General Munir: “On what legal or moral grounds does Pakistan claim Balochistan's natural wealth as its own?” He challenges the General to identify similar resource reserves in Punjab, the true heart of Pakistan’s military elite.

Representing the Baloch community, Mir asserts that Balochistan is an ancient sovereign nation currently under illegal occupation by both Pakistan and Iran. Despite its abundance of rare earth minerals, oil, gas, and strategic assets, the people endure suffering under oppressive regimes that stifle their secular and peaceful traditions.

Mir emphasizes that the US made a significant mistake post-9/11 by placing trust in Pakistan, a nation that has consistently engaged in a double game. Instead of empowering secular entities like the Baloch, Sindhi, and Pashtun, past US administrations have inadvertently bolstered Pakistan’s military establishment, which harbors extremists.

Concerns have been raised about the increasing number of training centers for terrorist factions, including ISIS and Daesh, overseen by the ISI, posing heightened threats to both regional and global security.

Mir warns that ongoing uncritical faith in the Pakistani military, which exports extremism and suppresses the legitimate aspirations of the 60 million Baloch people, only encourages Pakistan to destabilize regional peace and undermine US interests.

The Baloch are known for their tradition of religious tolerance and coexistence, holding no ill will towards other faiths. In stark contrast, elements within the military and ISI have exploited radical groups to fuel anti-Western sentiments, often inciting public demonstrations that chant slogans like "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".

Mir questions whether the US will continue to support a state that fosters such hostility and extremism, often at the expense of American values and global stability.

He urges the Trump administration to engage directly with the exiled, pro-independence Baloch leadership committed to peace, economic development, and regional stability, led by Hyrbyair Marri, President of the Free Balochistan Movement.

“Establishing such dialogue 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,” he concludes.