US announcement on Balochistan limits China's ability, exposes Pakistan's double standards: Top expert

Washington, Aug 13 (IANS) The United States formally designating the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO) and US President Donald Trump announcing US investment in oil exploration in Balochistan not only reinforces America's commitment to counter international terrorism but also limits China's ability to use security concerns as a justification for expanding its physical presence in the region under the cover of protecting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a renowned international analyst reckoned on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday designated the BLA and its front organisation the Majeed Brigade as FTOs, asserting that action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration's commitment to countering terrorism.

Last month, Washington had officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) validating India's longstanding stance that the TRF is not an indigenous militant group, but a proxy for the Pakistan-based jihadi organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which was established to cover up Pakistan's continued patronisation of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

These back-to-back designations, John Spencer, the Executive Director at the US-based Urban Warfare Institute, wrote on Wednesday show that the United States under President Trump is committed to confronting terrorism wherever it occurs.

"They also highlight Pakistan's double standards. Islamabad continues to shelter and enable LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and other anti-India terrorist groups while demanding global sympathy for its own insurgencies. The same state that claims to be a victim of terrorism has been one of its most consistent sponsors," Spencer wrote in an article titled 'Why US Terrorist Designations in Balochistan Matter for India and the Region' which he also shared with his followers on X.

The leading American defence analyst believes that the Trump administration's "firm approach" to both TRF and BLA confirms that New Delhi's warnings about Pakistan's duplicity are gaining traction in Washington.

"For the United States, the designations serve multiple interests. They strengthen America's credibility as a global leader against terrorism, they counter China's push to expand its security presence in Pakistan, they safeguard prospective US energy and mineral investments in Balochistan, and they contribute to stability along critical maritime and trade routes in the Arabian Sea. These moves also align US and Indian objectives in exposing and isolating Pakistan's support for militant groups," said Spencer.

Located on Pakistan's southwestern edge, bordering Afghanistan to the north, Iran to the west, and the Arabian Sea to the south, Balochistan is the largest province in Pakistan, covering half of the country's area and home to just about 12 million people.

"Its terrain combines rugged mountain ranges, desert plateaus, and a 770-kilometre coastline that includes the deep-water port of Gwadar. The province is rich in natural gas, coal, copper, gold, and rare earth minerals. Despite this abundance, it remains one of the poorest and least developed regions in South Asia, with high unemployment, low literacy, and minimal infrastructure," Spencer highlighted.

Balochistan, located at the tri-junction of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, is one of the most geopolitically and economically significant regions in the world. With over 1,000 kilometres of coastline along the Arabian Sea and proximity to key maritime seamless trade routes, it is a natural gateway to Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Earlier this month, leading Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch had written an open letter to India's Public and Government sector companies, urging Indian partnership to unlock the "vast potential" of Balochistan as beneath its rugged terrain lies untapped treasure: trillions of dollars worth of rare earth minerals, gold, copper, oil, coal, lithium, and natural gas and, despite this immense wealth, decades of exploitation and occupation have left the region underdeveloped.

"For India, Balochistan’s unrest is both a moral and strategic concern. Morally, the Baloch people deserve international attention for the severe abuses they face, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and systematic denial of political rights. Strategically, instability in Balochistan undermines the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Growing discontent over Chinese exploitation of the province’s mineral wealth has triggered repeated BLA attacks against Chinese nationals and Pakistani security forces," asserts Spencer.

"In response, China has opened talks with Pakistan to form a joint security venture to protect its investments and personnel. Reports indicate that Beijing is keen to place its own security forces on the ground in Pakistan, following a model it recently operationalized in Myanmar under the pretext of safeguarding infrastructure projects during that country's civil war," he adds.

However, the urban warfare expert emphasised, lasting peace in Balochistan will only come when Pakistan abandons military repression in favour of political dialogue, equitable resource sharing, and respect for rights.

"Until that day, Balochistan will remain a fracture in Pakistan’s sovereignty, a pressure point for China's regional ambitions, and a vivid counterpoint to Pakistan’s rhetoric on Kashmir," he believes.

--IANS

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