(IANS photo)
Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has raised a “serious threat” warning over deepening China–Pakistan ties, claiming that China could deploy its military forces in Pakistan’s Balochistan region in the coming months.In an open letter to external affairs minister S Jaishankar, 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.”He said 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 his letter to EAM Jaishankar, Mir Yar Baloch said that China and Pakistan are rapidly moving toward the final stages of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major Belt and Road Initiative project led by Chinese President Xi Jinping that passes 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 warned that unless Baloch resistance and defence forces are strengthened, the region could soon see direct Chinese military involvement.“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.Mir Yar Baloch also said that any Chinese troop deployment without the approval of the local people could have serious consequences for the region.“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 rejected claims that CPEC has a military angle, saying the project is only economic. India, however, has always opposed CPEC, pointing out that it passes through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and affects India’s sovereignty and security.Earlier this year in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh repeated India’s stance. In a written reply, he said: “Government’s position on CPEC is 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.”Mir Yar Baloch also praised India’s recent counterterror military actions, highlighting Operation Sindoor, which targeted key terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack that 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.There has been no official response so far from the Union government, or from Chinese or Pakistani authorities, to Mir Yar Baloch’s claims.
