On 25th September, images from Washington showed President of the United States, Donald Trump, meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani military chief Asim Munir. In the meeting, Munir presented a polished tray of so-called “rare earth minerals” to Trump as they hoped to impress the White House and secure American investment.
The photo opportunity was meant to showcase Pakistan as a potential supplier of critical minerals at a time when the world is competing fiercely for control over rare earths. However, behind the glimmering rocks, lie a darker story. Most of the minerals Pakistan claim it can supply, do not originate in Punjab province, the power base of Pakistan’s Army. These minerals come from the resource-rich but brutally oppressed land of Balochistan.
Soon after the photos were released, Baloch activists condemned the display as a theatrical attempt to sell stolen wealth. In fiery posts on social media, Baloch leaders accused Pakistan of looting their soil, presenting it as its own, and attempting to mortgage the region’s resources to the US just as it had done with China.
The global race for rare earths
Rare earth minerals have become the centre of global economic and strategic competition. There are 17 elements that are critical for everything from smartphones and renewable energy to advanced weapon systems. While the demand of these minerals is increasing several folds every day, the availability is extremely limited.
Currently, China controls the lion’s share of global production for rare earths making western countries anxious about their supply chain. It is in this context that Pakistan suddenly decided to showcase its supposed reserves to the US.
The pitch was clear. Invest in Pakistan’s mining sector and secure supplies of rare earth magnets, cobalt, and lithium. It is also telling that Trump’s recent term is littered with ambitious promises that have gone unfulfilled. He repeatedly vowed to “bring prices down on day one,” yet inflation remains high and costs for staples like eggs and groceries continue rising. He pledged sweeping economic revival and infrastructure boosts, but critics argue the actions have largely been symbolic or delayed. Against that backdrop, any mineral-investment assurances to Balochistan ought to be viewed with deep scepticism.
However, the truth is that these deposits over overwhelmingly lie under the mountains and deserts of Balochistan, not in other provinces under Pakistan. For decades, Islamabad has treated Balochistan as a colony. It has siphoned off its resources while leaving the local population in poverty.
The Baloch perspective – stolen wealth and blood on hands
Faiz M Baluch, a prominent Baloch activist, posted a scathing response on social media platform X where he wrote, “These thieves steal Balochistan’s resources and then pretend they own them. Don’t be fooled, Donald Trump, these military generals have blood on their hands. Stand with the victims, not the looters.”
These thieves steal Balochistan’s resources and then pretend they own them. Don’t be fooled, @realDonaldTrump these military generals have blood on their hands. Stand with the victims, not the looters. #Balochistan #HumanRights#FreeBalochistan pic.twitter.com/2BW7Yzudpj
— Faiz M Baluch ?? (@FaizMBaluch) September 28, 2025
Another well-known Baloch activists, Mir Yar Baloch, highlighted how the Pakistan Army has been forcibly extracting rare earths from Balochistan. He said, “These samples of ‘rare earth minerals’ are being presented to you by Pakistan’s corrupt military chief Asim Munir. They are stolen from Balochistan during illegal mining. The Pakistan army has, at gunpoint, been illegally extracting these minerals and is now trying to portray them as Pakistan’s.”
Dear @realDonaldTrump these samples of “Rare Earth Minerals” shown to you are being presented by Pakistan’s corrupt military chief Asim Munir and his puppet prime minister are stolen from Balochistan during illegal mining. These minerals are found in the soil of Balochistan, not… pic.twitter.com/ZDkIXW9Q3Z
— Mir Yar Baloch (@miryar_baloch) September 28, 2025
The activists compared Pakistan to a thief handing over stolen jewellery. They argued that if the US truly values human rights, it should build relations with the rightful owners, the Baloch people, rather than reward an occupying power that suppresses dissent through violence.
A history of looting Balochistan
This is not the first time Pakistan has attempted to sell resources from Balochistan to foreign powers. From natural gas fields in Sui to gold and copper deposits in Reko Diq, Islamabad has consistently signed deals with foreign corporations and governments without the consent of the local people.
Earlier, it came to light that Pakistan mortgaged Balochistan’s Gwadar port and resources to China and secretly offered rare earth magnets to the US as collateral for loans. Baloch activists described it as the “auctioning” of their homeland, with Islamabad treating Balochistan as a dispensable asset.
Furthermore, OpIndia reported a similar controversy when Trump claimed that Pakistan possessed massive oil reserves, discovered during “Operation Sindoor.” Activists again pointed out that these reserves were located in Balochistan and not in Pakistan’s heartland.
In August, in an exclusive interview with Baloch activist leaders, OpIndia reported their strong rejection of US overtures to Munir, emphasising that Balochistan is not just a “province” but a nation under illegal occupation. They warned Washington that courting Pakistan’s generals would only fuel further resentment among the Baloch people.
Why the US is interested now
The US is keen to diversify its rare earth supply chains away from China. Trump, during his campaign and early days in office, has repeatedly spoked about securing critical minerals as a matter of national security. Any presentation of minerals, however staged, naturally attracts attention in Washington.
Pakistan understood this desperation and since then trying to position itself as an alternative supplier. However, there are two glaring problems. First of all, there is serious lack of infrastructure and governance that are required to manage large-scale mining projects. Secondly, and more importantly, the minerals being showcased will be extracted from a territory whose people have never consented to their exploitation.
Balochistan will not allow its gold and minerals to be sold
The people of Balochistan have resisted Pakistan’s attempts to plunder their resources for decades. From student uprisings to armed insurgencies, the demand has been consistent, that is, recognition of Balochistan’s sovereignty and control over its natural wealth. Every time Islamabad signs a new contract with a foreign investor, it does so under the shadow of army guns and enforced disappearances.
Mir Yar Baloch put it bluntly in his message to Trump, “Would you prefer to accept, as a gift, a gold necklace stolen by a thief (Pakistan), or would you rather make friends with the legitimate owners (Baloch people) and lawfully earn thousands of gold necklaces?”
The analogy captures the sentiment in Balochistan. Accepting Pakistan’s minerals is akin to legitimising theft. And no amount of investment or aid can wash away the blood that stains these resources.
The beggar state’s showpiece diplomacy
For Islamabad, the mineral tray presented to Trump was not just a gift. It was a desperate plea for dollars. Pakistan’s economy remains on life support, dependent on IMF bailouts and foreign handouts. After exhausting China’s credit, it now seeks to convince Washington that it can offer something valuable in return.
But this “beggar’s diplomacy” is built on lies. The minerals are not Pakistan’s to give. They belong to Balochistan. Every dollar earned from their sale is money stolen from a land already ravaged by poverty, repression, and war.
What lies ahead
In the coming months, it will get clearer if the US buys into Pakistan’s narrative or recognises the legitimacy of Baloch grievances. Washington cannot afford to ignore the moral dimension, though it has a history of doing so. If Washington decides to side with Pakistani government, it will be an endorsement of occupation of Balochistan and suppression of its people.
At the same time, global attention on rare earths will only increase. As the world transitions to green energy and advanced defence systems, demand will skyrocket. That makes Balochistan’s resources even more valuable, and its struggle for justice even more urgent.
Conclusion
Baloch leaders have sent a clear message that the minerals being paraded in Washington are not Pakistan’s. They are the rightful property of the Baloch nation. Any deal struck with Islamabad is illegitimate and will not bring stability.
For the US and other global powers, the choice is stark. Do they enrich a military elite that thrives on occupation and bloodshed, or do they recognise the legitimate rights of a people who have endured decades of exploitation?








