Open letter to Jaishankar raises alarm over CPEC, potential Chinese military role in Balochistan

Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has warned that China could deploy its military forces in Pakistan’s Balochistan region in the coming months, citing the deepening strategic alliance between Beijing and Islamabad as a serious threat.

In an open letter addressed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and shared on X on New Year’s Day, Mir Yar Baloch said Baloch representatives view the growing China-Pakistan partnership as “dangerous,” particularly as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) enters its final stages.

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He alleged that Balochistan has suffered decades of repression under Pakistan’s control, including state-sponsored violence and human rights abuses. “The people of Balochistan have endured Pakistan's state occupation, state-sponsored terrorism, and egregious human rights atrocities for the past seventy-nine years,” he wrote.

Referring to CPEC, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project of Chinese President Xi Jinping that passes through Balochistan, Mir Yar Baloch warned that the region could see a direct Chinese military presence if Baloch defence forces are not strengthened. “It is conceivable that China could deploy its military forces in Balochistan within a few months,” the letter stated.

He further claimed that any Chinese troop deployment without local consent would have wider regional consequences, calling it a threat to both Bharat and Balochistan.

China and Pakistan have repeatedly denied allegations of military expansion under CPEC, maintaining that the project is economic in nature. India has consistently opposed CPEC, stating that it passes through Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and raises sovereignty concerns.

He wrote, "On behalf of the people of Balochistan, we reaffirm our unwavering support to Bharat and its government in fostering friendship, trust, and mutual interests encompassing peace, prosperity, development, trade, defense, security, future energy challenges, and the mitigation of concealed threats."

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Mir Yar Baloch commends Operation Sindoor

In the letter, Mir Yar Baloch also praised India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. He wrote, “We commend the bold and resolute actions undertaken by the Modi Government in the previous year through Operation Sindoor, particularly targeting terrorism hubs facilitated by Pakistan and directed against the Pakistani military in response to Pahalgam terror attack. These measures demonstrate exemplary courage and a steadfast commitment to regional security and justice.”

While Beijing and Islamabad continue to frame the corridor as an economic initiative, the warning by the Baloch leader underscores persistent concerns about security and regional stability.