New Delhi: Bollywood star Salman Khan has won the admiration of Balochis and the wrath of Pakistanis. His recent comments separating Balochistan from Pakistan are now being celebrated and criticised.
At the Joy Forum 2025 in Riyadh, Khan highlighted the growing popularity of Indian cinema across the Gulf region, citing the diverse South Asian communities residing and working there. “There are people from Balochistan, there are people from Afghanistan, there are people from Pakistan… everyone is working here,” Khan said in a now-viral video clip.
Although brief and perhaps unintentional as a political statement, Khan’s remark has been widely interpreted as a significant and deliberate acknowledgment of Balochistan as a distinct cultural and national entity. The reaction has been swift and polarised.
“The heartfelt mention of Balochistan by Indian film legend Salman Khan during an event in Saudi Arabia has been overwhelmingly celebrated across the Republic of Balochistan and by over 60 million Baloch citizens worldwide,” Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch told ThePrint. “While Balochistan has often been referenced in Indian films and series, this moment stands apart — it was not scripted on a movie set, but spoken sincerely on the soil of Saudi Arabia, home to a vast Baloch diaspora.”
Mir Yar added that Salman Khan reaffirmed “the growing bond between the Baloch and Indian people who share a moral commitment to truth and justice.”
“We believe such gestures of cultural recognition are powerful instruments of soft diplomacy, bridging hearts and inspiring artists, thinkers, and influencers to acknowledge Balochistan’s rightful identity as a distinct nation,” he said.
Khan’s comments are now being hailed by Baloch activists and commentators as a watershed moment. “Salman Khan’s acknowledgment of Balochistan as separate from Pakistan reflects rare awareness and honesty about the region’s true identity,” tweeted Nobat Marri Baluch, former head of the information department of the Free Balochistan Movement. “It’s time more voices in the global community speak up against the ongoing suffering of the Baloch people.”
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The Baloch question in Pakistan
For decades, the people of Balochistan—an ethnic group spread across southwestern Pakistan, southeastern Iran, and southern Afghanistan—have asserted a distinct national identity, often in opposition to Pakistani State narratives. Baloch nationalist movements have long claimed that their territory was forcibly annexed by Pakistan following the Partition in 1947. The region, which makes up nearly half of Pakistan’s landmass and contains vast natural resources, has experienced repeated waves of insurgency and military crackdowns.
Zrumbesh International, a Baloch-focused publication, praised Khan’s words as “a long-overdue acknowledgment” of a people whose identity has often been erased from mainstream narratives.
It also added that this is not the first time Bollywood has intersected with Baloch history. Icons like the late Kader Khan and Raaj Kumar were born in parts of Balochistan now within Pakistan’s borders. Additionally, the 1950 Hindi film Sargam featured a song that referenced Balochistan as a country, reflecting the cultural awareness of that era.
Khan has previously collaborated with artists from Baloch backgrounds, including Omani singer Asma Mohammed Rafi Al Balushi, further suggesting familiarity with the community’s heritage.
“These connections suggest that Khan’s remarks were not a slip of the tongue but rather an informed acknowledgment rooted in his understanding of Baloch history and identity,” Zrumbesh’s editorial noted.
A letter of appreciation circulated online from Mir Yar Baloch, the Baloch leader in exile, expressed gratitude to the actor. “Your words have served as a powerful recognition of our distinct national and cultural existence… Your voice has reached millions of Baloch hearts.”
“Your acknowledgment has deeply touched the hearts of the Baloch people everywhere. For decades, our identity and voice have been overshadowed, and your words have served as a powerful recognition of our distinct national and cultural existence. By giving Balochistan the status of a country, you have reaffirmed what our people have always known and cherished our sovereignty, heritage, and rightful place among nations,” his letter stated.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)