New Delhi: The Republic of Balochistan has welcomed the Joint Delhi Declaration adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit, particularly its call for “zero tolerance” towards terrorism, and urged BRICS nations and the wider international community to support what it described as the aspirations of the people of Balochistan for peace, independence and economic development.
In a statement dated September 12, the Republic of Balochistan said Point 40 of the BRICS declaration was particularly significant as it condemns terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations”, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and safe havens. It also welcomed the declaration’s call for concerted action against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities.
The statement said Balochistan wished to further deepen cooperation with the international community in counter-terrorism efforts and supported the proposed finalisation and adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism under the UN framework.
The Republic of Balochistan claimed that the region had faced what it termed “Pakistan’s terrorism” for eight decades, alleging both state and economic terrorism had adversely affected the lives, economy and development prospects of its people.
It appealed to BRICS countries and UN member states to exert diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to withdraw its military from what the statement described as Balochistan’s territories.
“If Pakistan does not withdraw its military from Balochistan peacefully,” the statement said, Balochistan should receive assistance under defence, economic and military agreements with its allies to protect the region’s mineral resources.
The statement claimed that Balochistan’s mineral wealth was worth trillions of dollars and argued that these resources should be utilised for the development and prosperity of its people rather than contributing to regional instability.
The Republic of Balochistan further called for international recognition of Balochistan’s independence, saying such recognition would open avenues for trade, investment, defence cooperation and diplomatic engagement with countries in the region and beyond.
It said the “sixty million people of Balochistan” sought peace, stability and development and wanted to utilise the region’s natural resources through international trade, economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement.
The statement also appealed to BRICS and other countries to recognise what it called the aspirations of the people of Balochistan for “peace, independence, development and economic prosperity” and to take practical steps towards diplomatic, economic, trade and defence cooperation.
Declaring its readiness to establish diplomatic missions in more than 100 countries, the Republic of Balochistan said it was prepared to engage with the international community and argued that a prosperous Balochistan could contribute to peace, stability and development in the wider region.
The statement’s position comes as it welcomed the BRICS declaration’s broader emphasis on international cooperation against terrorism, accountability for those involved in terrorist activities and adherence to international law.
