Authored by Prashant Singh
Balochistan sits at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, a strategic corridor linking the Arabian Sea to some of the world’s most contested frontiers. Rich in natural resources and home to the deep-sea port of Gwadar, the region has become central to Pakistan’s security doctrine and China’s Belt and Road ambitions. Yet for decades, Baloch nationalist groups have challenged Islamabad’s authority, calling it an occupation and demanding independence. As regional tensions intensify and global powers compete for influence, the Baloch question is once again gaining attention.
In this interview, Mir Yar Baloch outlines the movement’s stance on Afghanistan, Iran, India, CPEC, minority communities, and the daily realities faced by civilians in the region.
Q1. Does the Balochistan freedom movement have any political, moral, or logistical support from Afghanistan at present? If not, does the BLA expect any support in the future, and what steps have been taken so far to seek it?
Mir Yar Baloch: Afghanistan and Balochistan are two neighboring and brotherly countries. Our geography runs parallel, and our challenges are not very different. Balochistan is under the occupation of Pakistan, and this occupation has always been a source of difficulties for Afghanistan, because Pakistan has, in every era, misused the land of Balochistan to create economic and defensive problems for Afghanistan.
The level of support we expected from Afghanistan was never extended to our freedom movement. When, in 1938, Prince Abdul Karim—the younger brother of the ruler of Kalat, Ahmad Yar Khan—migrated to Afghanistan in protest and resistance against the forced occupation of March 27, 1948, he did not receive sufficient military, logistical, or diplomatic support from Afghanistan. Afghanistan also did not raise its voice against the forced occupation of Balochistan.
However, the people of Afghanistan and Balochistan remain grateful to one another because whenever Pakistan or Iran created hardships against either side, the people of both countries opened the doors of their homes to each other. Our friendship, based on mutual trust, has been historical and will always remain so.
Since both share a common enemy, it is hoped that Afghanistan’s leadership will learn from past mistakes and, this time, take practical steps for the freedom of Balochistan, and will cooperate with Balochistan in the political, diplomatic, defense, and economic fields—beginning with the recognition of Balochistan as an independent country.
Q2. Is the Baloch freedom movement also active in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan region, similar to the one in Pakistan? If yes, why does international media mainly report only on Pakistani Balochistan and not on the Iranian Baloch areas?
Mir YarBaloch: The Baloch are a nation, and every nation has the right to struggle for freedom from slavery. Iran, like Pakistan, has forcibly occupied a large part of Balochistan. Chabahar Port belongs to Balochistan and is currently under Iranian control. Iran is also trying to suppress the Baloch people economically, culturally, and in other ways. In 2022, during Friday protests, Iranian regime forces opened fire and killed 130 Baloch people within just 15 minutes. The majority of those killed were young Baloch.
These protests erupted after the death of MahsaAmini (known as Jina), a brave young Kurdish political activist, who was killed during a protest against the hijab rule. These demonstrations were held across Kurdish, Baloch, and Ahwazi (non-Persian) regions. In Iran, an Iranian army general raped a 15-year-old Baloch girl named Maho. Following this crime, massive protests broke out in many areas of Iranian-occupied Balochistan.
People strongly demonstrated against this incident. Additionally, Iran’s development and municipal authorities have carried out forced evictions and demolitions of Baloch settlements in Chabahar, Zahedan, Khash, Kerman, Iranshahr, and other places. Iranian forces have demolished their homes. The local Baloch population says that Iran has planned to shift its capital from Tehran to the coastal areas of Balochistan — Makran and the surroundings of Chabahar — because Tehran is facing a severe water crisis and extreme population pressure. However, the people of Balochistan have protested strongly against these forced evictions by the Iranian government.
The protests of 2022 and those that followed received quite significant coverage in Western media and especially in Gulf countries. But the Indian media has given very little coverage to the atrocities committed against the Baloch people by Iran. That is why the people of India are generally not well aware of the oppression and injustices being carried out against the Baloch by the Iranian state.
Q3. Which organisations inside Pakistan and outside have supported the Baloch freedom movement so far? What kind of support has this been: political, humanitarian, or ideological?
Mir YarBaloch: The demand of the people of Balochistan is very simple: they are not part of Pakistan, they are sovereign over their own land. However, Pakistan is using cannons, tanks, fighter jets, and its entire military machinery to deprive the Baloch of this right. The freedom struggle of the Baloch enjoys financial, political, diplomatic, human, economic, and every kind of support from the people of Balochistan. This legitimate struggle for our rights also has the moral and political support of the Pashtun and Sindhi nations.
The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and some organizations in Sindh are supporting the Balochistan movement. We appreciate all those nations that understand the pain and suffering of the Baloch and stand with truth and justice. The leadership of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement has, on several occasions, participated in the protests, rallies, and processions of the freedom-loving people of Balochistan. We have also participated in their political gatherings, rallies, and seminars.
So far, the Pashtuns have not openly declared a war of independence from Pakistan. They are still operating within the framework of Pakistan and talking about their rights. But we are making every effort to convince them that Pakistan has no real existence; the Baloch, Pashtun, and Sindhi nations have been imprisoned in a military camp by the Punjabi Muslim army and elite. The only way out is freedom. The Baloch nation has, with its national strength, achieved considerable success in inflicting defeats on Pakistan. However, the Pashtuns are still content with responding to bullets only with protests and demonstrations.
Q4. If Balochistan becomes independent, how do Baloch leaders imagine its territorial boundaries and population structure? Which regions do the Baloch people historically and politically consider part of Balochistan?
Mir YarBaloch: I would not use the word “If” because Balochistan is an independent country. It is facing the illegal presence of Pakistan, the loot and plunder of our resources, and the illegal presence of Pakistan’s navy and air force. The boundaries of Balochistan are clear and have been ruled by the rulers of the United Balochistan. We do not have the intention to acquire one inch of land from others, and similarly, we can’t allow others to invade our one inch of land. We have a population scattered in Iran-occupied Balochistan, in the Republic of Balochistan, and Afghan held areas of Balochistan. There is a considerable Baloch population in Gulf countries, Africa, Europe, Nepal, and Bharat.
Q5. What is the stance of the Hindu community living in Balochistan toward the freedom movement? Are they involved in the fight, and if so, do they support it openly or quietly?
Mir YarBaloch: The Hindus who have been residing in Balochistan for thousands of years consider themselves citizens of Balochistan, and their sacrifices for Balochistan are commendable. In 1829, when the British launched an invasion against the then-king of Balochistan, NawabMehrab Khan, the Hindu Diwan Chand Machal, who worked alongside him, sacrificed himself along with his sons. After that, in 1975, the Baloch have not forgotten the Hindu Dileep Das, who was forcibly abducted by Pakistan and never produced.
The courageous and brave Hindu community of the Republic of Balochistan has shown loyalty to the soil of Balochistan in every era. On March 17, 2005, when Pakistan’s former military dictator General Musharraf targeted Hindu temples and Sikh Gurdwaras with artillery and helicopters during the assault on Balochistan, a total of around 70 people were killed, and among them, two dozen were from the Hindu community, including children and women.
Q6. What are the most serious problems faced by ordinary civilians in Balochistan today, especially related to safety, livelihood, education, and basic rights?
Mir YarBaloch: The people of Balochistan regard the Pakistani army as an external invading force. The Baloch people hold no expectations of any goodness from Pakistan. For them, the presence of the Pakistani army in Balochistan is the fundamental issue, as Pakistan’s Punjabi-dominated army is neither familiar with Baloch culture nor acquainted with our customs, traditions, and ways of life. The Pakistani army has deliberately kept the people of Balochistan away from education for the past seventy-eight years, because Islamabad fears that the Baloch populace might become educated and take control of their country’s reins.
Therefore, it is exerting every possible effort to keep our children away from schools and education. Even today, polio patients exist in Balochistan; even today, Baloch women die during childbirth; in this modern era, the Baloch people lack access to clean water and permission to read and write in their mother tongue. Even if a nation is not killed with cannons, bombs, and bullets, keeping it away from its language, identity, and history will cause it to gradually lose its existence. We are aware of Pakistan’s nefarious intentions, and therefore, we are seriously working to ensure health, education, basic facilities, and protection for our nation.
Q7. Are local and international media, journalists, and human rights organisations allowed to work freely in Balochistan? If not, what kind of restrictions or pressures do they face?
Mir YarBaloch: No, in Balochistan, the Pakistani army neither permits the Baloch people to write, read, or learn in their mother tongue nor tolerates the international community writing or conducting research about the Baloch. Whenever any international media publishes research-based material on Balochistan or releases news and commentaries about it, thousands of AI bots operating on the payroll of Pakistan’s ISI target that media house or institution.
The Pakistani army does not tolerate the truth; it also does not tolerate the Baloch identity or distinct recognition, because if the Baloch nation were to separately articulate their unique identity, land, and history, Pakistan would lose its importance in the world, as it possesses neither its own sea, nor resources, nor coastlinethey are selling Balochistan to the entire world.
Q8. What does the Baloch freedom movement expect from India at this stage? If Balochistan becomes independent in the future, what kind of diplomatic or people-to-people relationship would you want with India?
Mir YarBaloch: The Baloch nation has defeated Pakistan through its national unity and resolute determination. The people of Balochistan exercise control over every corner of their land. The Pakistani army is unable to travel by road in Balochistan from 6 PM until 6 AM, which reflects the people’s silent rebellion and their trust and confidence in their own security forces and those fighting for freedom.
Given Balochistan’s deep historical and cultural ties with India, our people demand that the Prime Minister NarendraModi government recognize Balochistan as an independent country. Pakistan’s forcible occupation of Balochistan is not only causing the genocide of the Baloch people but also creating a mounting pile of problems for India. It is secretly inviting the Chinese army to access Balochistan’s warm waters and is engaging in negotiations with the United States to sell rare earth minerals from the region.
In the current circumstances, if we undertake defense pacts with our friendly countries, we can prevent China from deploying its forces in Balochistan’s warm waters. However, if the Baloch are left isolated, China could soon dispatch nuclear warhead-equipped ships and troops to Balochistan, permanently seizing Gwadar. Once China enters Balochistan, it would prove catastrophic for the security and economy of the United States and India in the long run
Q9. How does the presence of the Pakistani military affect daily life in Balochistan? What kinds of actions or policies create fear or hardship for ordinary people?
Mir YarBaloch: Pakistan’s media is underthe complete control of their military. The media affiliated with Pakistan’s Punjab province dominates the landscape and primarily propagates the narrative of its occupying forces. When hundreds of thousands of Baloch people take to the streets in Balochistan, Pakistan’s mainstream media provides no coverage; however, in Punjab, even a minor news item becomes breaking news.
Our efforts are focused on exposing Pakistan’s narrative and highlighting the ongoing Baloch genocide, economic exploitation, and occupation in Balochistan to international media outlets and global policy-making institutions through our own grassroots power, available social media platforms, and our Baloch media websites.
Q10. What is the Baloch fighters’ position on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? Do they see it as a development project or as something that threatens Baloch rights and resources?
Mir YarBaloch: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is an anti-Baloch project. Before its initiation, the people of Balochistan were not taken into confidence, and the CPEC agreement with an occupying and anti-Baloch entity like Pakistan has sown the seeds of further insecurity in the region. China has no right to support a terrorist state like Pakistan in exploiting Baloch resources and coastline in Balochistan.
Since the launch of CPEC, hundreds of thousands of Baloch have been evicted from their ancestral lands, and fifty thousand Baloch have been forcibly abducted and imprisoned by the Pakistani army because they are politically resisting China and Pakistan’s anti-Baloch projects. CPEC poses a direct threat to Baloch identity, resources, and the risk of transforming the population into a minority, which cannot be permitted.
Q11. At this moment, what is the biggest concern or fear within the Baloch freedom movement: military pressure, loss of public support, or international silence?
Mir YarBaloch: The Baloch people are well aware that they are the rightful heirs of Balochistan, not the Pakistani Punjabi army or Beijing’s Chinese People’s Liberation Army. Our concern is not the brutality of Pakistan or China, as we control the regions of Balochistan; we are actively preventing them from plundering our homeland. Rather, our concern lies in the silence of like-minded and friendly nations; they are officially not vocal and hesitant to show their support for our struggle for humanity, the preservation of our identity, and efforts to safeguard the entire region from Pakistan’s terrorism, religious extremism, and proxy wars, such as fabricated jihad.
Just as the Kurds in the past allied with Western countries and the United States to defeat jihadist extremists in their fight against ISIS in Syria, Turkey, and Iraq, the United States abandoned them midway, leaving them helpless and unsupported instead of standing by their side. Similarly, the Baloch oppose the policies of Pakistan and China that exploit our resources, while striving for our freedom and to foster peace in the region. It is imperative to stand with the Baloch at this critical juncture; only then can we avert the destruction of humanity and the region.
Q12. Are there different political or ideological views within the Baloch movement? Which approach, armed struggle, political dialogue, or international advocacy, do most young Baloch people believe in today?
Mir YarBaloch: The people of Balochistan, along with armed and political groups, are united on a single page in their pursuit of Balochistan’s independence. The most commendable feature of Balochistan’s freedom movement is that it is free from religious ideologies; the axis of their struggle is solely and exclusively the liberation of a united Balochistan. They are also resolute in the belief that Pakistan did not occupy Balochistan through any referendum or plebiscite, but rather by the force of guns, tanks, and artillery.
Therefore, such a country should be expelled from our land using guns, artillery, tanks, and with the assistance of UN peacekeeping missions. At the international level, our diplomatic missions are working day and night tirelessly. Balochistan’s war of independence involves a substantial number of young and educated individuals; today, every Baloch serves as a soldier, an ambassador, and a journalist.
Q13. How do Baloch fighters manage their weapons and resources under difficult conditions? Does reliance on older weapons systems create operational challenges for the movement?
Mir YarBaloch: The defense forces of Free Balochistan seize weapons, firearms, and ammunition from the Pakistani army on the battlefield. The Pakistani army is considered number one only in newspapers and media, but in actual combat, they prefer to flee and surrender rather than engage in fighting.
Balochistan’s forces handle the transportation of their own armaments. Whether the weaponry is old or new, if the courage is resolute, even a stone and a stick are sufficient to defeat the enemy. The Baloch nation has proven through its bravery, valor, and gallantry that Pakistan’s artillery, tanks, and missiles become ineffective in their presence.
Q14. Have Baloch leaders attempted to engage with major global powers such as the United States, Russia, or China regarding the Balochistan issue? If yes, what response have they received so far?
Mir YarBaloch: Since Balochistan is a country with a history spanning thousands of years, the entire worldincluding Russia, China, and the United States are aware of its geography, minerals, and history. Our leadership and diplomatic missions are making every effort in various countries to inform the international community, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, about the truth of Balochistan and Pakistan’s duplicity, lies, and deceit.
In this regard, in 2012, during the tenure of U.S. President Barack Obama, a one-and-a-half-hour-long hearing on Balochistan was held under the chairmanship of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in the U.S. Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, in which other U.S. senators openly emphasized providing diplomatic and political support for Balochistan’s independence. Additionally, in London, under the platform of the Free Balochistan Movement headed by Baloch leader HyrbyairMarri, a month-long, round-the-clock protest was staged in front of the Chinese embassy.
Furthermore, protests and sit-ins were also held in front of the Chinese embassy in Germany. Our leadership has also informed Russia about the facts through media channels. We hope that the world powers will no longer ignore Balochistan, as the Baloch people, through their invaluable sacrifices, have conveyed a message to the world that they possess the strength to overpower Pakistan, which is engaged in plundering their homeland and resources.
Q15. Women are increasingly visible in the Baloch freedom movement. Is there an organised women’s wing within the movement? What motivates Baloch women to join, and what role do they play?
Mir YarBaloch: The participation of women is essential for the success of any movement. The mothers and sisters of Balochistan are not oblivious to their national responsibilities. Women have led from the front lines in Balochistan’s freedom movement even during the British era. Baloch women participate in equal numbers in our political and resistance movements.
Last year, KhawajaUsman, affiliated with Pakistan’s ruling party and residing in London, endorsed the genocide in Balochistan during a live space on Twitter X. He stated that the people of Balochistan should be killed using poisonous gas, and further remarked that the children growing in the wombs of Baloch mothers should also be killed along with the pregnant mothers.
Standing on British soil, he openly proclaims the Baloch genocide. Subsequently, last month, the Pakistani army forcibly abducted an eight-month pregnant Baloch woman from Balochistanand placed her in a torture cell. In a single month, a dozen Baloch women have been forcibly abducted and disappeared. In such circumstances, when Baloch women, children, infants, and pregnant women are also being targeted by the brutality and savagery of the Pakistani army, they have no other option but to rise up in their own defense.
Q16. Finally, what message would you like to send to the international community about Balochistan that you feel has been ignored or misunderstood for decades?
Mir YarBaloch: Our message to the entire world is that Balochistan is single-handedly fighting the war on behalf of the global community. We do not wish for Punjabi-dominated Pakistan to occupy our seas, or for our gold, copper, coal, oil, or gas. The Pakistani military has made our coastlineszone of conflict rather than a source of progress for us and the world. Instead of engaging with Pakistan’s tanks, artillery, and mercenary forces regarding Balochistan, the international community should recognize Balochistan’s independence and its legitimate movement, thereby scripting a new chapter in history.
For eight decades, the world has nurtured a beggar and terrorist state like Pakistan, resulting in regional instability and the strengthening of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other jihadist organizations. The Pakistani army provides these jihadists with literature, pro-Pakistan religious parties supply them with manpower, and China offers diplomatic cover by vetoing UN resolutions on sanctionsas evidenced by China’s veto of the resolution to declare MasoodAzhar a terrorist at the United Nations.
Pakistan is safeguarding the leaders of its proxy groups in military safe houses under the pretext of court cases. Balochistan is earnestly prepared to facilitate global peace, and the time has come for the international community to demonstrate similar seriousness by advancing direct dialogue and establishing relations with the Baloch leadership.
Q17. From your perspective, what are the most critical needs of Baloch freedom activists and fighters at this stage of the movement in terms of weapons? Beyond moral or political backing, which countries or international institutions do you believe are best positioned to play a meaningful role in addressing these needs?
Mir Yar Baloch: Baloch leadership has repeatedly appealed to our friendly countries for the necessary support for the freedom of Balochistan. It is evident that we are defending our people against a state that neither respects the laws of war nor upholds principles of humanity or compassion. Through the use of force, they have deployed their military across Balochistan. Our progress toward success is not driven by possessing an army of one million soldiers, fighter jets, tanks, or artillery like Pakistan.
We are advancing because the people of Balochistan have ceased to fear Pakistan’s fighter aircraft, jets, and artillery. This represents a critical moment for our friendly countries to recognize that the Baloch people are prepared to defeat Pakistan in Balochistan even with limited resources. The land is under the control of the people of Balochistan, while the skies remain under Pakistan’s control due to its drones and fighter aircraft. The people of Balochistan wish to convey to India that political, diplomatic, and moral support alone cannot stop Pakistan’s aerial bombardments on our civilian population. To achieve this, the Baloch nation must also possess comparable capabilities and tools to establish a balance of power.
When the Baloch have the same capacity as Pakistan, Pakistan will think repeatedly before deploying F-16 fighter jets against the Baloch people. It will not dare to sell Balochistan’s air base to the United States, nor will it violate Balochistan’s airspace to carry out bombings in Kabul. Therefore, Balochistan can play a role in preventing bloodshed in Afghanistan. A free and defensively self-reliant Balochistan would be beneficial for the entire region.
Bharat, being the most reliable partner to Afghanistan and Balochistan, can take the initiative to sign defense treaties with Balochistan and Kabul. New Delhi is currently selling or has sold defense equipment and military logistics to a limited set of countries. These include the Philippines (BrahMos coastal defense missile systems), Armenia (Akash air-defense missile systems, Pinaka rocket launchers, radars, and artillery), Vietnam (patrol boats, surveillance systems, training support, and approved missile cooperation), Mauritius and Seychelles (offshore patrol vessels, aircraft, coastal radar networks, and logistics), and Sri Lanka (radars, patrol craft, aircraft, and sustainment support).
These exports focus on missiles, anti-aircraft systems, naval platforms, surveillance, and defense logistics, reflecting India’s expanding role as a defense supplier, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and adjoining regions.
The Republic of Balochistan has already declared itself a country, and we have continues discussions and debates with Balochistan’s defense experts strongly emphasize the need for a US–India–Balochistan coalition force to counter Chinese and Pakistani military influence in the region. They argue that providing Balochistan with anti-aircraft missiles, long-range missiles, air-defense systems, maritime security support, and other defensive capabilities would reduce civilian casualties, deter air and drone strikes, and enhance regional stability, including greater security for Afghanistan. They further call for independence, security cooperation, and economic partnership with Balochistan to be incorporated into the foreign policy frameworks of New Delhi, Washington, Tel Aviv, Kabul, and Brussels, citing a shared challenge of global radicalization that they argue remains deeply rooted within Pakistan.
From this perspective, the Baloch leadership urges the international community to intensify legal, financial, and intelligence actions against the ISI-linked networks, retired military officials, and business figures involved in exploiting Balochistan’s mineral wealth and operating offshore entities while conducting covert radicalization efforts abroad. Presenting Balochistan as a regional whistleblower, we suggest that recognizing an independent and secure Balochistan is, in their view, essential to safeguarding future generations and preventing the spread of extremist sleeper networks into Western capitals.
Q18. How do the Baloch people view Pakistan’s current power structure, particularly Army Chief General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif? Do you see any difference between military and civilian leadership in their approach toward Balochistan, or are they perceived as part of the same system?
Mir Yar Baloch: In Pakistan, the office of the Prime Minister has been systematically reduced to a ceremonial role, functioning in practice no more than a personal secretary to the military establishment. Real authority does not reside in the parliament or the civilian cabinet, but firmly within the General Headquarters. Prime ministers neither control national security policy nor possess meaningful signatory power over strategic, foreign, or defense decisions.
This reality is repeatedly exposed when Pakistan’s army chief, not its elected leadership, represents the country in critical international engagements, carries out strategic negotiations, and speaks on matters of war, peace, and resources. No functioning democracy allows unelected generals to dominate diplomacy, economic bargaining, and national direction. Pakistan, from day one, is a military-run state with a civilian façade, where the army stands above the constitution, the courts, and public accountability.
This unchecked militarization has had devastating consequences for Balochistan, where the Pakistani army continues large-scale military operations, enforced disappearances, and aerial assaults, all financed through an ever-expanding defense budget. Balochistan’s vast reserves of rare earths, copper, gold, gas, and strategic coastal access have been exploited for decades without the consent of its people, enriching a narrow military-business elite based in Punjab and Islamabad. This is not governance; it is extraction under force.
We therefore urge the international community, particularly the United States and its democratic allies, to reassess their long-standing engagement with Pakistan’s military establishment. History has shown that financial aid, military assistance, and diplomatic cover extended to Pakistani generals over the past eight decades have not produced stability, counter-terrorism success, or democratic reform. Instead, these resources have repeatedly been diverted against civilian populations, neighboring states, and even Western interests themselves. Continuing to deal with Pakistan’s military as a “necessary partner” has only entrenched impunity, strengthened extremist ecosystems, and undermined genuine regional peace.
As a democratic nation, the United States must engage with democratic forces of the Republic of Balochistan, not authoritarian and extremist structures of Pakistan. This means opening channels with the Baloch leadership and democratic institutions of Balochistan to identify areas of cooperation rooted in human rights, regional stability, counter-radicalization, and responsible independent resource governance. A peaceful, independent, and internationally recognized Balochistan would serve as a strategic stabilizer between South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, offering transparent access to critical minerals, secure maritime routes, and a bulwark against extremism and military adventurism.
Dealing with Pakistan’s military regime has yielded diminishing returns and escalating risks. Engaging with democratic alternatives, such as Balochistan, offers a forward-looking policy option aligned with long-term security interests and the global fight against radicalization. The choice before the international community is no longer between stability and chaos, but between supporting entrenched militarism or investing in democratic, accountable, and peace-oriented partners.
Note: Mir YarBaloch is a Baloch Representative, Writer, Freelance Journalist, HR Defender, Diplomat & Member of Free Balochistan Movement. He can be reached via his official X handle (@miryar_baloch).
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
