14 - 07 - 2026

Baloch Separatist Representative Claims Control Over Most of Balochistan

A Baloch representative claimed Monday that the Republic of Balochistan now controls most of the Pakistani province’s territory and has established its own symbols of statehood, including a flag, anthem and currency, though the assertions could not be independently verified.

In a statement dated July 13 and attributed to a representative of the Republic of Balochistan, the group said its defense and security forces had secured 85% of Balochistan’s territory and were administering the region through their own institutions. The statement said the group had adopted the anthem “Ma Chukain Balochani,” introduced a national flag and launched a currency called the Balochi Falus.

The statement also claimed control over gold and copper mines, more than 150 gas fields and over 1,200 coal mines, and said a 500,000-strong force spanning land, air, naval and civil units stood ready to oppose Pakistani forces by the end of 2026. Those claims could not be independently confirmed.

The declaration comes against a backdrop of long-running unrest in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, where Baloch nationalist groups have repeatedly attacked security forces and infrastructure. Baloch nationalist activists have for years accused Islamabad of exploiting the region’s natural resources while denying locals political rights and economic benefits.

Pakistan has not recognized such declaration of independence, and Balochistan remains part of Pakistan under international law. Analysts added that the province matters because it gives Pakistan access to the Arabian Sea, sits near the borders with Iran and Afghanistan, and contains valuable mineral and energy resources.

Its location also makes it central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major infrastructure and trade project that links western China to the port of Gwadar in Balochistan. This gives the province outsized strategic weight: it is important for Pakistan’s security and trade, as well as China’s regional connectivity plans and for broader stability along a sensitive border zone.

Venkatesh G