Balochistan [Pakistan], August 3 : After US President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with Pakistan to explore a "massive oil reserve," prominent Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has publicly rejected Islamabad's claim over the resource-rich territory, asserting that the oil, gas, and mineral reserves lie within the sovereign territory of Balochistan, not Pakistan.
In a letter addressed to Trump and shared via X (formerly Twitter), Mir Yar Baloch declared that Pakistan is making false claims to access the region's mineral wealth for financial gain. He emphasised that the resources, including rare earth elements, copper, lithium, uranium, and oil, belong exclusively to the Baloch people and cannot be bartered or sold by the Pakistani state.
https://x.com/miryar_baloch/status/1950668390022177052
"#BalochistanIsNotPakistan," Mir Yar Baloch posted, warning that the Pakistani military had gravely misled US and UN officials, particularly Army Chief General Asim Munir, who reportedly discussed the Balochistan mineral reserves with Trump during a June meeting at the White House.
According to The CSR Journal, the Baloch leader called the deal a "strategic mistake," asserting that any partnership with Pakistan over Balochistan's resources would empower the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which he described as a rogue agency with a long record of sponsoring terrorism.
"Allowing Pakistan's radicalised military and ISI, known for supporting Al-Qaeda and proxy jihadist groups, to exploit Balochistan's trillion-dollar reserves would directly finance global terror," the letter read. "It would endanger regional stability and could contribute to attacks reminiscent of 9/11."
Mir Yar Baloch warned that profits generated through such deals would not reach the Baloch people but would instead fund anti-India and anti-Israel militant operations. He also reiterated that Balochistan declared itself an independent republic in May 2025 and urged the global community to recognise its sovereignty.
"These reserves are not in Punjab, which is the actual Pakistan," he said. "They belong to the Republic of Balochistan, currently under illegal occupation."
He concluded with a stark message: "Balochistan is not for sale. We will not permit Pakistan, China, or any foreign power to exploit our land or its resources without the explicit consent of the Baloch people. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable."
The post has triggered renewed debate over resource ownership, foreign involvement, and Pakistan's decades-long occupation of Balochistan. Whether the international community heeds this warning remains to be seen.
Trump had recently posted on his Truth Social platform, "We have just concluded a deal with the country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive oil reserves."
"We are in the process of choosing the oil company that will lead this partnership," Trump added. "Who knows, maybe they'll be selling oil to India someday!"