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The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has strongly denounced the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank's decision to provide $1.25 billion in financing for the Reko Diq mining project, warning that the funding will tighten Pakistan's control over Balochistan and intensify state-led repression in the province, as reported by The Balochistan Post.
According to The Balochistan Post, the BNM in its statement expressed "deep concern" over the US move, calling it a violation of global ethical standards and an endorsement of Pakistan's exploitation of Baloch resources. The group stated that such partnerships directly contribute to what it described as "genocide, enforced disappearances, and plunder of the Baloch nation's natural wealth." The BNM said the financing package portrayed as a development initiative would instead pave the way for more military operations, forced population displacement, and increased surveillance in resource-rich areas of Balochistan. The spokesperson warned that the United States, through its financial involvement, is "aiding Pakistan's occupation" rather than promoting regional stability. The organisation further argued that Washington, having once fought colonial domination, should recognise the historical consequences of supporting oppressive regimes. "This decision undermines the Baloch struggle for self-determination and strengthens Pakistan's repressive apparatus," the spokesperson noted. He added that US financing would likely lead to the construction of more army posts, checkpoints, and security infrastructure tools often used to suppress dissent in the region, as highlighted by The Balochistan Post. Highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the BNM urged the US to reflect on the reality that thousands of Baloch youth remain missing and are allegedly held in secret military detention centres under brutal conditions. The group said the families of the disappeared "continue to live in perpetual grief, waiting endlessly for their loved ones." "The United States must choose between supporting human rights and endorsing oppression," the statement concluded. "Such assistance doesn't heal the wounds of the Baloch; it deepens them," as reported by The Balochistan Post. (ANI)
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