The Free Baloch Movement declared independence from the state of Pakistan on 14 May via a series of posts by Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch on his X account. He asserted that the declaration of independence from Pakistan made on 11 August 1947 after the departure of the British was still legitimate, and appealed to India to establish a Baloch embassy in New Delhi. He likewise appealed to the United Nations for peacekeeping forces and demanded the withdrawal of the Pakistani army from Balochistan.
Mir Yar’s declaration of an independent “Democratic Republic of Balochistan” came with the announcement of the publication of a proposed constitution, the “Balochistan Liberation Charter“. In this document, this new republic is envisaged as a secular state with equal participation of women in government, compulsory education, and equal access to health, education, and government jobs.
Mir Yar Baloch and other Baloch nationalists have repeatedly appealed to India to support their national ambitions. He has shown support for India on his social media account, stating enthusiastically that the Indian army has the power to defeat Pakistan in a war.
The move for independence comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Pahalgam, occupied Kashmir on 22 April, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed by a militant group that India claimed was armed and supported by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has been conducting attacks against the Pakistani army intensively as part of their so-called “Operation Herof”. BLA fighters have reportedly carried out 78 attacks in 58 different locations throughout Balochistan province. On 15 May, the BLA released a video of an attack against Pakistani military vehicles, an operation which was said to have been executed on 9 May.
The BLA itself also declared a “New Order” in the region in a press release published on 11 May, wherein they accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorist groups and being a harbinger of nuclear instability. Echoing the comments of Mir Yar Baloch, the BLA also declared that it would support India in its fight against Pakistan by attacking from the west, with the hope of dismantling the state entirely. However, the BLA rejected accusations that it is an Indian proxy militia.
It appears that the Baloch nationalist movement is gaining momentum, with former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi himself saying that Pakistan is no longer in control of Balochistan in an interview on 6 May. Whether or not India or the United Nations will respond positively to the demand for Baloch independence is still unclear, but these recent developments mark a significant turning point in the Baloch separatist struggle.
