The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has delivered a heavy blow to Beijing-backed projects steered under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) umbrella. The BLA has warned various Pakistani telecommunication companies yet again in "occupied" Balochistan to stop playing the role of a facilitator in carrying out the "expansionist ambitions of the imperialist state of China". The statement was issued by BLA spokesman Azad Baloch after fighters of the armed group captured locally hired workers of a Chinese telecom company who were installing mobile towers in Margat Chokhobi Wadh area of Quetta's Shaal city on June 26.
According to Radio Zrumbesh, part of a media network operated by Baloch National Movement (BNM), the BLA fightes set on fire the company equipment and released three workers (Gul Shah Khan, Abdul Aadi and Mehraj belonging to Shaal, Zhob and Qila Saifullah) on the same day but have the rest (Muhammad Yusuf, Amanat Ali and Rehmatullah) still in their custody.
BLA will release the three captured telecom workers, on condition that any international body including the UN or Red-Cross, takes their responsibility.
Azad Baloch pic.twitter.com/AwJpbJHRfh
— Nohaan Baloch (@NohaanBaloch11) July 1, 2021
BLA later issued a detailed statement, saying that the detained workers "arrested" in Margot Chokhobi Wadh were part of the "same exploitative scheme" and they won't be released until international organisations like the United Nations or the Red Cross in Geneva take responsibility for them within 10 days on the condition that they will not re-engage in such projects. Otherwise, the BLA said, the captured workers will be brought before the Baloch National Court for not giving up despite repeated warnings.
"The imperialist state of China, in collaboration with Pakistan, has set up a telecom networking network and is using other telecom companies, including Huawei, to spy on the occupied Baloch territory, including other subcon companies (Netcom, Exeleron, ZTE). And, all these projects are funded by an organized engineer under the Universal Service Fund," the BLA said.
Azad Baloch further said that China has already implemented its economic and military ambitions to some extent against the will of the Baloch nation in the coastal city of Gwadar in "occupied" Balochistan, where the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has been handed over to Baloch officials.
"Due to the dangers posed, China and Pakistan are constantly trying new methods for Baloch genocide. The aforementioned telecom companies are installing mobile towers in uninhabited mountainous areas of Balochistan at the behest of the Pakistani military, under the guise of exchanging intelligence between China and Pakistan about Baloch insurgents, and the ongoing Pakistani occupation of occupied Balochistan. The aggression of the army and the kidnapping of the youth every day is the same conspiracy," the spokesperson mentioned.
The BLA remains adamant, asking for international intervention even though local organisations like the Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) have made an appeal to release the three abducted workers on humanitarian grounds.
"We appeal to Baloch Liberation Army to release three labourers it has captured from Margat Wadh Quetta, Balochistan on June 26 while they were working on installation of mobile communication towers. They must not be harmed and be released on humanitarian grounds unconditionally," the HRCB tweeted.
