Baloch Leaders Tell Trump: Oil Reserves Not in Pakistan
A group of Baloch leaders has written an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, challenging recent remarks and claims related to Pakistan’s resource wealth. In the letter, they stated that Trump had been “gravely misled” by Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir, especially regarding the location of key oil and gas reserves.
Baloch Nationalists Criticize Pakistani Military Claims
The Baloch leaders, who represent nationalist and separatist sentiments in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, asserted that the rich mineral and hydrocarbon resources often claimed by Islamabad are not located in Pakistan’s Punjab or Sindh regions, but primarily in Balochistan. They claimed that successive Pakistani governments, backed by the military, have exploited these resources while suppressing local voices.
They accused General Asim Munir of misleading foreign leaders, including Trump, into believing that these resources belong to the Pakistani state as a whole. According to them, Balochistan remains politically sidelined and economically underdeveloped despite being the center of much of the country’s natural wealth.
Appeal for Recognition and Support
The letter calls on President Trump and the U.S. administration to acknowledge what they describe as a colonial relationship between Pakistan and Balochistan. The leaders appealed for international recognition of Balochistan’s autonomy and sought support for what they term a freedom movement.
They further emphasized that any partnerships or investments involving Pakistani resource claims must consider the rights of local populations, particularly the Baloch people, who they say have not benefited from decades of extraction and militarization.
The letter has drawn attention from international observers and comes amid growing unrest in Balochistan, where militant attacks on Pakistani security forces have intensified. While the Pakistani government maintains that Balochistan is an integral part of the nation, calls for independence or greater autonomy continue to grow within sections of the Baloch population.
