A representative of the self-declared Republic of Balochistan has written to NATO member states urging the alliance to examine what he describes as a worsening human rights and security crisis in the region, warning of implications for regional stability and the wider international order.
In a letter dated 4 January 2026 and addressed to NATO governments and permanent missions in Brussels, Mir Yar Baloch, identifying himself as a Baloch representative, extended New Year greetings before setting out a detailed case for international engagement with Balochistan.
The letter portrays Balochistan as a strategically significant territory linking South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia, with a long Arabian Sea coastline that the author says is critical to global maritime, energy and trade routes. It claims that Balochistan was a sovereign entity before 1947 and was “forcibly annexed” by Pakistan in March 1948, an assertion Pakistan has historically rejected.
According to the letter, Pakistan’s control of Balochistan has led to prolonged instability marked by heavy militarisation, political exclusion and alleged human rights abuses. The author claims that tens of thousands of security operations were conducted in Balochistan during 2025 alone, citing statements attributed to Pakistani officials, and alleges enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the use of prohibited weapons against civilians. These claims could not be independently verified.
The letter also accuses both Pakistan and Iran of fostering radicalisation in and around Balochistan, alleging that extremist networks operating in the region have contributed to violence beyond South and West Asia, including attacks in Europe. Iran is further accused of executing large numbers of ethnic Baloch citizens on what the author describes as politically motivated charges, a claim Tehran denies.
Strategic cooperation between Pakistan, China, Iran and Turkey in Balochistan is highlighted as another concern. The author alleges that rare earth minerals and other resources worth trillions of dollars are being extracted without the consent of the local population, with revenues redirected towards military programmes, including nuclear and missile development.
Expressing alarm over Pakistan’s missile ambitions and nuclear rhetoric, as well as China’s reported provision of advanced technology and artificial intelligence training to Pakistani nationals, the letter warns of heightened risks of proliferation and miscalculation in an already volatile region.
Positioning Balochistan as a potential partner for the West, the author argues that an independent, self-governed Balochistan would offer a “moderate, secular” alternative capable of countering extremism, securing maritime routes and contributing to diversified critical mineral supply chains.
The letter concludes by urging NATO member states, including the United Kingdom, to hold parliamentary hearings and policy discussions on Balochistan, saying this would give voice to a people “long excluded from international discourse”.
The appeal was copied to the foreign ministries of all 32 NATO member states. NATO, Pakistan and Iran have not publicly responded to the letter.
