Trump's BLA ban seen as cover for U.S. rare earth push in Balochistan

The latest pro-Pakistan move by Washington—designating the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) a terrorist organisation earlier this month—appears linked to the scramble for rare earth minerals buried beneath Balochistan's deserts and mountains, according to a recently released local report.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

By criminalising BLA networks and freezing their assets—something Pakistan had long demanded—the United States has effectively cleared the path for American companies to invest in one of the world's richest yet most volatile mineral frontiers.

The 74-page report, Rare Earth Minerals and Copper Reserves in Balochistan (Report No. ERO1/2025), compiled by a team of independent local investigators known as Giajaim ("search for hidden truths" in Balochi), details how the province's mineral wealth has become the centre of competition between the U.S. and China, while the Baloch themselves continue to reject extraction without their consent.

Described as an autonomous institution analysing security and economic data on Balochistan, the group says its purpose is to provide accurate information so readers can better understand both national and regional dynamics.