The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has voiced strong opposition to the US Export-Import Bank’s decision to extend $1.25 billion in financing to Pakistan for the Reko Diq mining project in Balochistan, according to reports.

In a statement cited by Balochistan Post, the organisation said the funding would strengthen Islamabad’s control over the region and intensify state-led repression. The group described the loan, framed as development assistance, as tacit approval of the exploitation of Balochistan’s natural resources and alleged human rights violations.

BNM warned that the financing could lead to expanded military deployments, new checkpoints, forced displacement of local communities, and heightened surveillance in mineral-rich areas. It urged Washington to reconsider its decision, arguing that such support undermines the Baloch struggle for self-determination and deepens an ongoing humanitarian crisis marked by enforced disappearances.

The criticism comes amid Pakistan’s continued economic stress, despite recent international financial assistance aimed at preventing an immediate debt default.