As Pakistan flashes its rare earth minerals to Trump, Baloch rebels warn them against any adventures: Is the Trump-Pakistan bonhomie another castle in the air?

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 a