Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

In Open Letter To Jaishankar, Baloch Leader Flags China-Pakistan Threat, Warns Of Chinese Troop Deployment


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has claimed that China could deploy its military forces in Pakistan's Balochistan region within the next few months, warning that the deepening China-Pakistan alliance poses a serious threat.

In an open letter addressed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and posted on X on New Year's Day, Mir Yar Baloch said Baloch representatives view the growing strategic partnership between Islamabad and Beijing as "dangerous".

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He said that Balochistan has faced decades of repression under Pakistan's control, including what he described as state-sponsored violence and human rights abuses.

"The people of Balochistan have endured Pakistan's state occupation, state-sponsored terrorism, and egregious human rights atrocities for the past seventy-nine years. The time has now arrived to eradicate this festering affliction at its roots, ensuring lasting peace and sovereignty for our nation, " he wrote.

In the letter, Mir Yar Baloch also noted that China and Pakistan are moving rapidly towards the final stages of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project of Chinese President Xi Jinping that runs through Balochistan.

"The Republic of Balochistan views the escalating strategic alliance between Pakistan and China as profoundly dangerous. We warn that China, in collaboration with Pakistan, has advanced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to its final phases," he said.

He claimed that unless Baloch resistance and defence forces are strengthened and taken seriously, the region could soon witness a direct Chinese military presence.

"Should the capabilities of Balochistan's defense and freedom forces not be further bolstered and if they continue to be overlooked as per longstanding patterns, it is conceivable that China could deploy its military forces in Balochistan within a few months," the letter stated.

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Mir Yar Baloch further claimed that any Chinese troop deployment in Balochistan without the consent of the local population would have wider regional consequences.

"The presence of Chinese boots on Balochistani soil without the will of the 60 million Baloch people would pose an unimaginable threat and challenge to the futures of both Bharat and Balochistan," he wrote.

China and Pakistan have repeatedly denied allegations of military expansion under CPEC, maintaining that the project is economic in nature. India, however, has consistently opposed CPEC, stating that it passes through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and raises sovereignty and security concerns.

Last year in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh said in a written reply to Parliament that the Government's position on CPEC was clear and consistent.

"Government has consistently protested to parties concerned over the inclusion of the so-called 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)', which passes through parts of the Indian Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir under illegal occupation of Pakistan, as a flagship project of 'OBOR/BRI' and asked them to cease these activities. Any proposed participation of third countries or expansion of the so-called CPEC projects to third countries is unacceptable," the Minister said.

Commended Operation Sindoor

In the letter, Mir Yar Baloch also commended the Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people.

"We commend the bold and resolute actions undertaken by the Modi Government in the previous year through Operation Sindoor, particularly targeting terrorism hubs facilitated by Pakistan and directed against the Pakistani military in response to Pahalgam terror attack. These measures demonstrate exemplary courage and a steadfast commitment to regional security and justice, " he wrote.

New Year Wish

There has been no official response so far from the Uion government or the Chinese and Pakistani authorities to Mir Yar Baloch's claims.

The presence of Chinese boots on Balochistani soil without the will of the 60 million Baloch people would pose an unimaginable threat.

"On behalf of the six crore patriotic citizens of the Republic of Balochistan, we extend our deepest and most sincere congratulations for the New Year 2026 to the one hundred and forty crore people of Bharat, both Houses of Parliament, the media, civil society, and all esteemed individuals. This auspicious occasion provides an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate the profound historical, cultural, commercial, economic, diplomatic, defence, and multifaceted ties that have bound Bharat and Balochistan for centuries," he wrote.

(With agency inputs)

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