New Delhi, Aug 8 After signing a minerals and mining deal with the U.S, Pakistan may be in “seventh heaven.” However, the realities are different, and this deal could in fact further worsen the security concerns in Balochistan.
There is already violence in the region, and Pakistan and Chinese interests have faced several setbacks. The Baloch people have already warned against this new deal with the US, and hence, in the long run, all may not go as per Pakistan’s wishes.
With the uptick in the number of attacks on the economic infrastructure, there is no guarantee that any US investment would be safe.
The people of Balochistan have constantly complained that the developmental works and deals that are struck in their region never benefit them. They view it as an act of loot, as these deals are never struck with their consent.
Pakistan does not seem to have understood that projects such as the Saindak, Reno Diq and China-Pacific Economic Corridor Project have not shaped up as one would have expected. Hence, there is no guarantee that any US investment in the region would not meet with the same fate.
Earlier, Chinese projects were facing resistance and political condemnation. However, today one gets to see a lethal attack. Such incidents have not helped the cause of China, and despite a strong military presence in the region, basic infrastructure remains unbuilt.
Since Donald Trump took over as US President, he has aligned more towards Pakistan, unlike Joe Biden. When he hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House, they announced a new deal to develop Pakistan’s massive oil reserves. However, does Pakistan have so much oil, considering the fact that it is a major importer. If there is not much oil, then the interests of the U.S. could be natural resources, which Balochistan is believed to have.
The Trump administration could also be looking to counter China’s control of the global critical mineral supply by entering into deals in Pakistan. The US military is in fact the biggest consumer of critical minerals, and these are essential to power drone fleets and directed energy weapons.
Today, China dominates the global supply. China, in fact, wields so much power on this front that it forced the US to go to the negotiating table and end the China-US trade war.
China has learnt the hard way in Balochistan. The question is, will the US too learn the hard way since the issues in Balochistan are not logistical, but political? The US would, without a doubt, have to deal with the struggle for self-determination by the people of the region, and for this, it has to use suppression tactics.
Pakistan has also not thought through various factors owing to its financial conditions. It is already debt-ridden and any deal, however counterproductive it may will be acceptable to Islamabad.
To put it in a nutshell, it all looks good on paper, but for the US to work in Balochistan would be hard if it did not take into account the voices of the Baloch people.
The Pakistan Army may offer protection, but if one looks at its record in protecting China's interests in the region, there is nothing to tom-tom about.
While the Pakistan Army has managed to suppress people to some extent, today the situation is out of control. There have been numerous suicide attacks, which have rendered parts of the CPEC project useless.
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