Baloch Leader Demands Global Recognition for Independence, Accuses Pakistan of Repression in Balochistan

Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has called on the international community to recognise Balochistan’s independence, while launching a fresh attack on Pakistan’s government and security establishment over what he described as continued repression and human rights violations in the region. In a statement marking August 11, which Baloch nationalist groups observe as Balochistan’s independence day, Mir Yar Baloch said the movement had moved beyond commemorating the occasion and was now seeking international recognition for Balochistan’s independence on legal, political, diplomatic and moral grounds.

He appealed to governments and international organisations to pay greater attention to the situation in Balochistan and accused Pakistan of suppressing political activity and restricting freedoms in the province. Mir Yar Baloch also alleged that tens of thousands of Baloch people remain detained in what he described as torture facilities. He said the sacrifices of political activists and those killed or imprisoned during the conflict would remain central to the Baloch independence movement.

In a further escalation of his rhetoric, he claimed that Baloch forces had greater resilience and fighting capability than Pakistan’s military. He also asserted that the so-called Republic of Balochistan had prepared a force of 500,000 personnel. His claims could not be independently verified. Mir Yar Baloch urged the United Nations, ASEAN, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and European governments to reconsider their approach to Balochistan. He argued that the region’s natural resources could provide substantial economic benefits and contribute to international efforts in areas such as healthcare, education and humanitarian development.

He also accused Pakistani authorities of imposing communications restrictions in parts of Balochistan ahead of the August 11 observances. According to his claims, mobile and internet services were disrupted in several areas, while security measures were intensified around military cantonments and police installations in places including Kalat, Quetta and Khuzdar. He further alleged that military aircraft, drones and helicopters were conducting surveillance operations across parts of the region. These claims also could not be independently verified.

The latest statements come against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between Pakistan’s security establishment and Baloch nationalist and separatist movements. Balochistan has experienced years of insurgency, political unrest, enforced disappearances and allegations of extrajudicial killings, while Pakistani authorities have repeatedly cited security concerns and militant violence as justification for military and law-enforcement operations.

Human rights organisations have raised concerns over disappearances, arbitrary detention and restrictions on political activity in the province, while Pakistan has rejected accusations that its security forces systematically target civilians and maintains that operations are directed against militants and armed separatist groups. The continuing allegations and counter-allegations have deepened mistrust between sections of Baloch society and the Pakistani state, while the security situation remains a major challenge to efforts aimed at restoring political stability, accountability and public confidence in Balochistan.