Balochistan, Pakistan, December 12 (ANI) — The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has sharply criticized the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank’s decision to approve $1.25 billion in financing for the Reko Diq mining project, warning that the move will strengthen Pakistan’s control over Balochistan and intensify state repression, The Balochistan Post reported.
In an official statement, the BNM expressed “deep concern,” describing the loan as a violation of international ethical norms and as tacit support for the exploitation of Baloch natural resources. The group said such international backing fuels what it called “genocide, enforced disappearances, and the plunder of the Baloch nation’s wealth.”
The BNM argued that although the package is presented as development assistance, it will instead facilitate expanded military operations, forced displacements, and increased surveillance in resource-rich areas. The organisation warned that US involvement effectively aids Pakistan’s “occupation” of Balochistan rather than promoting regional stability or local welfare.
Urging Washington to consider its historical stance against colonial domination, the BNM said the loan undermines the Baloch struggle for self-determination and empowers Pakistan’s security apparatus. A BNM spokesperson said the financing will likely be used to build additional army posts, checkpoints, and other security infrastructure commonly deployed to suppress dissent.
The statement also underscored an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the province, pointing to thousands of Baloch youth who remain missing and are allegedly held in secret military detention centres under harsh conditions, leaving families in prolonged anguish.
“The United States must choose between supporting human rights and endorsing oppression,” the BNM said, adding that such assistance “doesn’t heal the wounds of the Baloch; it deepens them,” The Balochistan Post reported. (ANI)
