Recent clashes between the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Pakistani forces, which have claimed many lives, have been followed by a wave of social media posts claiming that Balochistan has taken control of a large territory and declared itself an independent nation called the “Republic of Balochistan,” with claims that Baloch forces have implemented their own flag, currency, and administrative system. Amid these tensions, it is worth revisiting the history of how Balochistan, once independent, became part of Pakistan.
At the time of India-Pakistan partition, the Balochistan region had four major princely states — Kalat, Makran, Las Bela, and Kharan — of which Kalat was the largest and most powerful. On August 11, 1947, Kalat’s ruler Khan Mir Ahmad Yar Khan declared Kalat an independent nation, with British officials at the time recognising special agreements with Kalat, giving it a distinct standing from both India and Pakistan.
However, after Pakistan’s formation on August 14, 1947, its leadership began negotiations to merge Kalat into Pakistan. Though Kalat’s ruler initially tried hard to preserve his state’s independence, Pakistan argued that Kalat’s merger was strategically vital for geographical and defence reasons, and first merged the surrounding states of Makran, Las Bela, and Kharan into itself, leaving Kalat geographically isolated and under immense political and strategic pressure.
Some reports suggest Kalat made attempts and held talks to seek India’s support or merge with India during this critical period, but historical records indicate that then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not pursue the proposal due to geographical distance, border difficulties, and the political circumstances of the time, leaving Kalat further weakened without Indian support.
By March 1948, as tensions peaked, the Pakistani army entered Kalat, and under this military pressure and unavoidable circumstances, Kalat’s Khan was forced to sign the instrument of accession on March 27-28, 1948, officially making Kalat part of Pakistan. While Pakistan has always maintained the merger was legal, Baloch nationalist organisations reject it as a forced military annexation lacking legitimacy, and the struggle for independence and tensions in Balochistan have continued from then until today.