Balochistan’s natural resources are its enemy

By Faris Baloch

The occupied Balochistan is richly endowed with natural resources; it possesses many minerals including coal, Sulphur, Chromite, Iron ore, barites, Marble, Quartzite, and Limestone. It is also the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world besides being blessed with huge oil reserves.

However, what is happening in our rich country – Balochistan – under the colonial rule of Iran and Pakistan, is hidden from the eyes of the international community and Pakistani and Iranian media won’t tell you the truth about their naked aggression against the Baloch nation.

BALOCH PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED – yes, you read that right, Baloch people are being killed in inordinate numbers by the Pakistani and Iranian governments, for trivial to no reasons, Baloch people are labelled as terrorists by Pakistani and Iranian media because they are fighting for their freedom, Baloch kids, teenagers, men and women are being abducted and tortured by the Iranian and Pakistani army soldiers with blanket impunity from the international community.

As estimated by “Voice for Baloch Missing Persons”, more than 23,000 people have been disappeared since 2011; which contradicts the fluctuating official figure of 168 to 999. This large number shows the kind of tactics Pakistan government and ISI are using to suppress the demand for independence of Balochistan. The demand comes from the fact that Balochistan during independence never wanted to join Pakistan but was forcefully annexed to Pakistan at the behest of British demand – that Balochistan might pose a strategic disadvantage to future interests of British in the region at that time.

Pakistan government has ever since systematically ignored the wellbeing of Baloch people in terms of development and social progress  and it misused Baloch land against Afghanistan which led to increased poverty. But the question is why such atrocities? Baloch people have no rights for going to school or going to college, Kids dreams are being shattered and they are forced to labour as adults because they have no other choice.

The answer to this question lies in multiple factors of natural resources and geostrategic location of Balochistan. Some of the world’s most precious natural resources found in occupied Balochistan which includes Chromite, Fluorite, Barite, Asbestos, Marble, Garnet, Vermiculite, gold, copper, Iron, Gas, Petroleum, and the  750 kilometres long coast of Balochistan – as the gateway of trade corridor to some land lacked nations – have become the enemy of Balochistan.

Currently, the Baloch nation is resisting the illegal occupation of Balochistan in the form of defensive armed resistance across our country. Previously, Baloch tried to be pacifists but pacifism won’t work against the tyrannical rule of Pakistan and Iran. The Baloch people voice needs to be heard because Balochistan doesn’t belong to Pakistan and Iran. It is a sovereign independent state and solely belongs to the Baloch nation.

Hence, like any other sovereign and independent nation, the Baloch people also must have international recognition and UN representation.