When international investors and the government are finally bringing transformative projects like Reko Diq to Balochistan, few voices are working hard to discredit them. One such voice is Kiyya Baloch’s article in The Diplomat, which reads less like journalism and more like a spokesperson’s note for the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) — a group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States.
Instead of highlighting the human cost of BLA’s terrorism, Kiyya chose to glorify its operations, issue thinly veiled threats to multinational companies, and undermine a project that promises jobs, education, healthcare, and dignity for Balochistan’s people.
The reality is very different: Reko Diq is not exploitation — it is empowerment. Kiyaa’s assertion that Terrorists will not let this project succeed is nothing but a threat to the development of Balochistan. But why did Kiyaa wants that? To remain relevant and serve the very terrorist group interests by being a spokesperson for them. Never forget he sits in Norway, living a lavish life himself.
Balochistan in the Global Spotlight
Reko Diq has already attracted $5 billion in external financing offers from the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, US EXIM Bank, and others. Pakistan’s state-owned enterprises (OGDCL, PPL, GHPL) have doubled their investments to $1.88 billion, while global giants like Fluor Corporation (USA) and Komatsu (Japan) are building engineering and equipment hubs.
Such partnerships prove that Balochistan is no longer on the margins. It is emerging as a central hub of international collaboration, with global institutions betting on its stability and future.
This is precisely why militants — and those who echo them — target Reko Diq. They understand that if the project succeeds, their narrative of “exploitation” collapses.
Jobs and Skills: The Real Change for Balochistan
Unlike the propaganda of terrorists, Reko Diq’s benefits are measurable and already visible:
- 75% of the permanent workforce is from Balochistan, including65% from Chagai district.
- 14% of employees are women, a historic milestone in a traditionally male-dominated labor force.
- Under the International Graduate Development Program (IGDP), 18 engineers from 11 districts — including women — have received training in Argentina and Zambia.
In the coming years, the construction phase (2025–2028) will create 7,500 direct jobs, while operations will sustain 3,500 long-term positions. More than 25,000 indirect jobs will benefit small businesses across logistics, catering, maintenance, and services.BLA offers violence and fear, Reko Diq offers livelihoods.
Social Investment with Impact
Since 2022, the Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC) has invested $5.3 million in community programs:
- Education: 7 schools now serve over 400 students.
- Technical Training: 577 youth have been equipped with employable skills.
- Healthcare & Clean Water: Villages around the project now have better services.
- Mentorship: More than 114 participants, including women from remote villages like Humai and Durbin Chah, are being prepared for careers.
Dedicated women’s mentorship sessions are opening doors to future employment in mining — a groundbreaking step in rural Balochistan.
Contrast this with the BLA’s track record: burning schools, sabotaging infrastructure, and killing civilians in places like Mastung. Yet Kiyya remain silent on those crimes.
A Transparent Framework
Reko Diq has built a transparent governance structure. A board chaired by the Chief Secretary of Balochistan ensures provincial oversight, with representatives from the Mines and Minerals Department, federal SOEs, and Barrick Corporation.
Advance royalties guarantee that benefits reach locals even before production begins. Already, $17.5 million in royaltieshave been paid to the provincial government, alongside $3.8 million in federal income taxes.
This is what accountability looks like — something militants and their propagandists conveniently ignore.
Narrative of Terrorists spokesperson
The BLA is not a people’s movement — it is a banned terrorist outfit with no public mandate. Its attacks, including the Jaffar Express hijacking (2025) and is designed to spread fear, not liberation.
Kiyya Baloch’s writings amplify these threats while ignoring their victims. By warning investors and glorifying designated terrorists, he undermines Balochistan’s chance at progress. In doing so, his agenda is clear: keep the province unstable so that outside “spokesperson” remain relevant.
But the truth is simple: the people of Balochistan benefit from schools, jobs, and healthcare — not from bombings and bus attacks.For Balochistan, these international project means revenue beyond federal transfers.
It is a turning point forBalochistan and its people. It brings education, healthcare, infrastructure, and thousands of jobs. It builds dignity and hope where terrorists thrive on despair.
