United States mineral deal with Pakistan labelled as ‘strategic mistake’

Islamabad: The US-Pakistan mineral deal faces strong opposition from the Baloch community, with local leaders like Mir Yar Baloch labelling it as a "strategic mistake" , a report cited on Saturday. He warned that the deal would embolden Pakistan's military and intelligence services and deepen the marginalisation of the people of Balochistan.

"When Pakistan signed its minerals and mining deal with the United States, officials in Islamabad may have considered it an economic breakthrough, a way to court American capital and diversify alliances beyond Beijing. Yet, underneath the fanfare lies a grim reality grounded in the complex and violent history of Balochistan — a region that has persistently confounded grand development projects and foreign investors alike," an India Narrative report highlighted.

"Over decades, multinational corporations such as Barrick Gold and China Metallurgical Group have inked deals promising local development. Yet, the region remains one of Pakistan's poorest and most disenfranchised, fueling deep distrust among the Baloch people," it added.

The report stated that the Saindak copper-gold project, run by Chinese firms for over a decade, has yielded significant extraction. However, according to the locals, there is hardly any improvement in basic infrastructure or job prospects. At the same time, it stated that the Reko Diq mine, one of the world’s largest copper-gold deposits, has been plagued by disputes over revenue distribution, with most profits benefiting the central authorities and foreign stakeholders, fueling feelings of deprivation and betrayal among the people of Balochistan.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $60 billion project under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at transforming Pakistan's infrastructure and economy, has instead triggered violence, particularly in Balochistan.

"Pakistan’s army has tried to secure Chinese interests in Balochistan, but attacks and violence have only increased, rendering parts of CPEC projects useless and undermining investor confidence. Suppression, as history shows, simply drives resistance underground, making genuine development impossible," the report mentioned. (IANS)

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