New Delhi (NVI): In a clear warning to the Pakistan military and ‘exploitative corporations’ engaged in plundering of resources in Balochistan, rebel outfit Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has said that it will continue to intensify its activities against exploitative projects for an independent Baloch state.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch has warned the Pakistani authorities against such “nefarious objectives” after Baloch rebels targeted a personnel carrier vehicle of Pakistani military in Tandori area of Babar Kach in Balochistan’s Sibi on Friday.
At least 7 persons, including Pakistani military personnel and employees of an “exploitative company” were killed in this IED attack, while five others were injured, the BLA spokesperson said in a statement.
“The enemy forces are intensifying their activities to strengthen their occupation of Balochistan and plunder its resources. In order to attain its nefarious objectives, the occupying state and its military on one hand are carrying out military offensives and on the other hand with the help of FWO, a subsidiary organisation of Pakistani military, they are plundering Baloch resources through exploitative projects,” said Jeeyand Baloch.
FWO is Frontier Works Organization is a military engineering organisation of Pakistan that is playing a key role in infrastructure projects under construction in Pakistan since 2013 under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“BLA has made it clear several times that Balochistan is a war zone, and only Baloch nation will decide the use of Baloch resources. Therefore, any exploitative corporations or the military personnel of FWO that are supporting the occupying state in its exploitation of Baloch resources will have to bear dangerous consequences,” the BLA spokesman said.
“BLA will continue to intensify its activities against such exploitative projects and for an independent Baloch state,” he added.
The CPEC is a project aimed at connecting China’s Xinjiang with Gwadar Port in Balochistan in Pakistan through a network of highways and railways along with infrastructure development for energy resources. This project is being portrayed as a signature of the ‘all-weather friendship’ between China and Pakistan.
However, Pakistan military and state authorities have been exploiting the natural resources in Balochistan while ignoring the welfare and infrastructure needs of the people in the province. The Baloch people have been ill-treated, arrested and also killed for raising their voices against the occupying state.
Rebel outfits like BLA have emerged over the years to counter this massive systematic plundering by China and Pakistan in the garb of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which is part of CPEC.
BLA, which is fighting for the freedom of Balochistan has targeted Pakistani military and agencies or corporations engaged in exploitative projects in the past as well. Last month only, the BLA had targeted personnel of a company involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, injuring six people, including two Army men.
The outfit had warned all companies involved in the project to give up “such exploitative” work, “through which the occupying Pakistan and its partners are exploiting the Baloch national resources.”
-ARK
