Fragments

Amid the whispering reality of rebellion in Pakistan's provinces—lending credence to speculations that they might be eying autonomy or secession in the wake of Indo-Pak tensions—China's strategic lifelines, namely CPEC and CMEC, continue to anchor Islamabad firmly, making disintegration a distant prospect

- DIPANKAR DEY

On May 14, 2025, Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch declared Balochistan's independence, citing decades of oppression and abandonment by the Pakistani state. The announcement was made alongside a plea for recognition and support from international countries like India and global institutions such as the United Nations. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has stepped up operations, which marked a fresh drive for sovereignty. The Pakistani state has dismissed the declaration as illegal and a menace to national cohesion. Military campaigns have been stepped up in the area to crush the secessionist movement.

Balochistan is one of the key provinces of Pakistan which comprises four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, and two disputed territories—Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Though Urdu is the national language and the lingua franca sharing official status with English, Punjabi is the dominant language of Pakistan. As per 2023 census, the major languages of Pakistan (spoken by over 2 per cent of population) are: Punjabi (36.98 per cent), Pashto (18.15 per cent), Sindhi (14.31 per cent), Saraiki (12 per cent), Urdu (9.25 per cent), Balochi (3.38 per cent) and Hindko (2.32 per cent). Bengalis were a 50 per cent-plus majority till 1971.

When the Constitution of Pakistan was promulgated in 1956, Iskander Ali Mirza became the country's first president from 1956 to 1958. The coalition of the Awami League, the Muslim League, and the Republican Party endorsed his presidency. On October 8, 1958, President Mirza announced via national radio that he was introducing a new constitution that would be "more suited to the genius of the Pakistan nation" and imposed martial law in Pakistan. He appointed the then-Army Commander of the Pakistan Army, General Ayub Khan, as the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA).