Balochistan: The search for nationhood

Citing decades of oppression and neglect, Baloch leaders are demanding international recognition for a long-suppressed cause — now thrust into global focus amid rising insurgency and regional turmoil

- RAJIV MALHOTRA

n May 12, 2025, Baloch nationalist leader Mir Yar Baloch made a historic and audacious move: he declared the Republic of Balochistan as an independent nation. In his impassioned address, he called upon the United Nations and the global community to recognise the new state, free from Pakistani domination. What was once seen as a peripheral movement has now emerged as a central fault line in South Asia's geopolitical landscape.

The roots of the Baloch nationalist movement run deep. Balochistan — a region straddling Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan-has a long history of tribal autonomy and cultural uniqueness. Historically ruled by tribal confederacies and princely states such as the Khanate of Kalat, Balochistan fiercely resisted centralised control. During British colonial rule, the region served as a buffer zone against Russian expansion, with Britain exercising indirect rule while allowing internal autonomy. When British India was partitioned in August 1947, Pakistan was born on the 14th, followed by India a day later. But just before these momentous events, on August 12, 1947, the Khan of Kalat declared Balochistan an independent state. Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, initially acknowledged Balochistan’s separate identity.