Washington–A senior US-based Baloch leader has called on President Donald Trump to extend support to the people of Balochistan, drawing parallels between recent US action against Venezuela’s former leadership and what he described as repression by Pakistan’s military establishment in the resource-rich region.
In a post on X, Dr. Tara Chand, president of the Baloch American Congress, said President Trump had “recently stood with the people of Venezuela against dictatorship” and should “likewise support the people of Balochistan in their struggle for freedom.”
Chand compared Venezuela’s former President Nicolás Maduro with Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, alleging that both had compromised national resources. He claimed that just as Venezuela’s resources were allegedly handed over to China, Balochistan’s vast natural and coastal assets were being “sold and mortgaged” by Pakistan’s military leadership to Beijing and other global powers.
Accusing General Munir of acting as a “double agent,” Chand alleged that Balochistan’s resources were being leveraged toward China while simultaneously being used as “bait to mislead the United States.” He urged President Trump to take “firm action” against Pakistan’s military leadership, drawing a comparison with Washington’s recent move against Maduro.
In his remarks, Chand also accused Pakistan’s military of involvement in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human rights abuses and regional destabilisation. He alleged that Pakistan exports “radical Islamic extremism beyond its borders,” which he described as a threat to global security.
Referring to past controversies, Chand cited the discovery of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, alleging that the Pakistani military had sheltered him while continuing to receive financial assistance from the United States.
He further claimed that security operations in Balochistan have led to daily killings and enforced disappearances, which he described as “crimes against humanity.” Chand said General Munir “must be held accountable and arrested, just as dictators elsewhere have been pursued for their crimes.”
“The people of Balochistan deserve justice, freedom, and the right to control their own land and future,” Chand said in his post.
The Baloch American Congress, headquartered in Washington, describes itself as a registered political organisation advocating for Baloch self-determination and the protection of the socio-cultural and political rights of the Baloch diaspora in the United States. Dr. Chand is a former cabinet minister in the Balochistan government.
The comments come amid heightened international scrutiny of human rights, control of natural resources and US policy toward authoritarian regimes, particularly following recent developments in Venezuela. (Source: IANS)
