| Balochistan بلوچستان |
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| — Province — | |||||
| Clockwise from top left: Hanna lake,
Machh Railway Station, Hingol National Park, Gwadar Port |
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| Location of Balochistan | |||||
| Coordinates: | |||||
| Country | Pakistan | ||||
| Established | 1 July 1970 | ||||
| Provincial Capital | Quetta (summer), Gwadar (winter) | ||||
| Largest city | Quetta | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Province | ||||
| • Body | Provincial Assembly | ||||
| • Governor | Zulfikar Ali Magsi | ||||
| • Chief Minister | Aslam Raisani (PPP) | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 347,190 km2 (134,050.8 sq mi) | ||||
| Population (2011)[1] | |||||
| • Total | 7,914,000 | ||||
| • Density | 22.8/km2 (59/sq mi) | ||||
| Time zone | PKT (UTC+5) | ||||
| Main Language(s) | |||||
| Provincial Assembly seats | 65 | ||||
| Districts | 30 | ||||
| Towns | |||||
| Union Councils | 86 | ||||
| Website | www.balochistan.gov.pk | ||||
Balochistan (Balochi, Urdu: بلوچستان, Brahui: Balocistán) is one of the five provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or (347,190 km2), it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of roughly 6.6 million.[2] The largest city, Quetta is the summer capital while Gwadar, the port city located in the south-west, serves as the winter capital.
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Balochistan is situated on the southwest of Pakistan and covers an area of 134,051 mi2 or (347,190 km2), thus constituting 44% of Pakistan's total land mass and making it Pakistan's largest province by area.
The province is bordered by Iran to the south-west; Afghanistan to the west and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to the north; and Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces to the east. To the south lies the Arabian Sea.
The provincial capital is Quetta and Gwadar is the major port .[3] Balochistan is rich in exhaustible and renewable resources; it is the second major supplier of natural gas in Pakistan, however its renewable and human resource potential has not been systematically measured.
Balochistan is located on the south-eastern part of the Iranian plateau. It borders the geopolitical regions of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, Central Asia and South Asia. It is the nearest coastline to Central Asia.
These facts have placed the otherwise desolate region constantly it in the scopes of competing global interests for all of recorded history.
The Sulaiman Mountains decorate Balochistan's northeast area. Local inhabitant's have chosen to live in towns and rely on sustainable water sources for thousands of years. The Quetta region is unique in the region in that it is not situated in desert terrain.
The capital, also called Quetta, is located in a densely populated portion of the mountainous northeast. It is situated in a river valley near the Bolan Pass which has been used as the route of choice from the coast to Central Asia, entering through Afghanistan's Kandahar region. The British and countless other historic empires have used crossed the region to invade Afghanistan by this route.[4]
Very cold winters and hot summers characterise the climate of the upper highlands. Winters of the lower highlands vary from extremely cold in Ziarat, Quetta, Kalat, Muslim Baagh and Khanozai the northern districts to mild conditions closer to the Makran coast. Summers are hot and dry, especially the arid zones of Chaghai and Kharan districts. The plain areas are also very hot in summer with temperatures rising as high as 50 °C (122 °F).The highest record breaking temperature of 53 °C (127 °F) has been recorded in Sibi, it was on 26 May 2010.[5] Previously, 52 °C (126 °F) was recorded in Sibi. Other hot areas includes, Turbat, and Dalbandin. Winters are mild on the plains with the temperature never falling below the freezing point. The desert climate is characterised by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable.
The main languages in the province are Balochi, Brahui, Pashto, Sindhi, and Urdu.[3]
Forming the eastern portion of the Iranian Plateau, the area of Balochistan is the site of the earliest known farming settlements in the pre-Indus Valley Civilization era, the earliest of which was Mehrgarh dated at 6500 BC. Balochistan, like Pakhtunkhwa to its north, was always an Iranic country. Known in history as the "seed of Zoroastrianism", Balochistan, then famous for its lakes, was one of the first places Zoroaster travelled south to, from Bactria in order to seek converts to his religion. And it was here that some of the first proselytes of his religion lived before its spread into western portions of the Iranian plateau. Balochistan in Pashto is known as Godar which was hellenized by the Greeks in to Gedrosia due to the fact that the Greeks derived the names of these Iranian lands from the Bactrian language. The Balochi people referred to their own land as Moka or Maka, a word which later became Makran. Balochistan was seemingly always sparsely populated by various tribes of Iranic origin for centuries following the decline of the nearby Harappa-Mohenjo-daro civilization to the east. The spread of the Balochi language led to the eventual decline in the numbers of Brahui, the original Arachosian tribes of the region.
The Baloch have Persian, Kurdish origins., all of whom populate portions of the Iranian plateau.[6] They are considered to be an Iranic group that has absorbed some Semitic genes and cultural traits. The northern point of Balochistan known in Pashto as Dzaranga was known as Drangiana to the Greeks and came to be known to the Persians as Saka. The Persian epic of Shahnama does record the Baloch in the Qazvin-Zanjan region of old Iran in the 6th century AD, when they were engaged in battle by the Persian king Chosroes I Anoshervan, The Shahnama also records its heroes, Rustom and Sohrab, as being Saka (and not ethnic Persians) making Balochistan (instead of Pars) their origin. With time, Baloch tribes linguistically absorbed all the local people in Makran, southern Sistan and the Barahui country, becoming a sizeable group to rival in size the other Iranic group in the region .
The large district and tribe of Belijan/Beluchan still exist in northwest Zagros, stretching from just east of Sivas, south toward Aleppo. The current inhabitants and the tribe identify themselves as Kurds.
In the 7th century, the region was divided into two parts: the south was made part of the Kermān Province of the Persian Empire and the north became part of the Persian province Sistan. In early 644, the Islamic Caliph, Umar, sent Suhail ibn Adi from Busra to conquer the Kerman region of Iran. He was then made governor of that region. From Kerman, he conquered the western Balochistan region, near the Persian frontiers.[7] South-western Balochistan was conquered during the campaign in Sistan the same year.
During the reign of Caliph Uthman in 652, Balochistan was reconquered during the counter-revolt in Kerman, under the command of Majasha Ibn Masood. This was first time western Balochistan became directly controlled by the Caliphate and paid taxes on agriculture.[8] In those days western Balochistan was included in the dominion of Kerman. In 654, Abdulrehman ibn Samrah, governor of Sistan, sent an Islamic army to crush a revolt in Zaranj, which is now in southern Afghanistan. After conquering Zaranj, a column of the army pushed north, conquering Kabul and Ghazni, in the Hindu Kush mountain range, while another column moved through North-western Balochistan and conquered the area up to the ancient city of Dawar and Qandabil (Bolan).[9] By 654, the whole of what is now the Balochistan province of Pakistan was controlled by the Rashidun Caliphate, except for the well-defended mountain town of QaiQan which is now Kalat, place in Pakistan. However, this town was later conquered during the reign of Caliph Ali.[10] Abdulrehman ibn Samrah made Zaranj his provincial capital and remained governor of these conquered areas from 654 to 656, until Uthman was murdered.
During the Caliphate of Ali, a region of Balochistan, Makran, again revolted. Due to civil war in the Islamic empire, Ali was unable to deal with these areas until 660, when he sent a large force, under the command of Haris ibn Marah Abdi, towards Makran and Sind. Haris ibn Marah Abdi arrived in Makran and conquered it by force, and then moved northward to north-eastern Balochistan and reconquered Qandabil (Bolan). Finally, he moved south and conquered Kalat after a fierce battle.[11] In 663, during the reign of Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I, Muslims lost control of North-eastern Balochistan and Kalat when Haris ibn Marah and large part of his army died in battle against a revolt in Kalat.[12] Muslim forces later regained control of the area during Umayyad reign. It also remained a part of the Abbasid Caliphate.
In the 15th century, Mir Chakar Khan Rind became the first king of Balochistan. Subsequently, Balochistan was dominated by the Timurids, who controlled all of Persia and Afghanistan. The Mughal Empire also controlled some parts of the area. When Nadir Shah won the allegiance of the rulers of Balochistan, he ceded Kalhora, one of the Sindh territories of Sibi-Kachi to the Khan of Kalat.[13][14][15] The successor of Nadir Shah and founder of the Afghan Empire, Ahmad Shah Durrani, also won the allegiance of that area's rulers. Most of the area would eventually revert to local Baloch control.
During the period of the British Raj, there were four Princely States in Balochistan: Makran, Kharan, Las Bela and Kalat. In 1876, Sir Robert Sandeman made a treaty with the Khan of Kalat and brought his territories (including Kharan, Makran, and Las Bela) under British suzerainty. After the Second Afghan War was ended by the Treaty of Gandamak in May 1879, the Afghan Emir ceded the districts of Quetta, Pishin, Harnai, and Thal Chotiali to the British. In 1883, the British took control of the Bolan Pass, southeast of Quetta, from the Khan of Kalat. In 1887, some of the areas of Balochistan were declared British territory. In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand negotiated an agreement with the Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan, to fix the Durand Line running from Chitral to Balochistan as the boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the British.
Two devastating earthquakes occurred in Balochistan during the British colonial rule: The 1935 Balochistan Earthquake, which devastated Quetta, and the 1945 Balochistan Earthquake with its epicentre in the Makran region.
In 1947, the Khan of Kalat reportedly acceded to the dominion of India. But his accession papers were returned by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India.[16][17][18] As a result, Kalat joined Pakistan on the agreement that defence, currency, foreign office and finance will be controlled by the federal govt but that the rest the province will control by itself. However, after death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, formation of one unit changed this situation and it was merged into Pakistan like other areas.
After independence from the British, Balochistan has not experienced much development. Due to historical poverty as result of its geographic location and royalties formula which benefits only a few tribal leaders, it has developed at a much slower rate than other parts of Pakistan.
Since Pakistan's independence, Baloch nationalist groups and the Provincial government have been in conflict, the Balochistan conflict.
The population density is very low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. The southern region is known as Makran. The central region is known as Kalat.
As of the 1998 census, Balochistan had a population of 8 million inhabitants, representing approximately 5% of the Pakistani population.[2] Official estimates of Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45 million in 2003[3] to 7.8 million in 2005.[1] According to the 2008 Pakistan Statistical Year Book, households whose primary language is Balochi represent 40% of Balochistan's population while 20% of households speak Brahui, Pashtu is spoken by around 40% of the population making Balochi and Pashtu the two dominant languages in the region. Other languages include, Sindhi, Punjabi and Brahui , and Saraiki.[19] Balochi-speaking people are concentrated in the sparsely populated west, east, south and southeast; Brahui speakers dominate in the centre of the province, while the Pashtuns are the majority in the north. The Kalat and Mastung areas speak Brahui. Quetta, the capital of the province, is largely populated with Pashtun people (actually more than 2 million afghan refugees settled in Quetta and the surrounding area) as prior to recent surge of migration various other Afghan refugee called as Afghani Khorasani tribes also migrated in 1960s decade like Nasar, Khilji, Kharoti, Andar, Sulemankhel Tokhai, Sulemankhel, Mullakhel, Hazara, Tajik etc. to Balochistan especially Quetta and other Pashtoon dominated areas.(See Pawanda Regulations 1952) In the Lasbela District, the majority of the population speaks Balochi, or Lasi(Sindhi). Jamot tribes of Sibi Naseerabad and Kachhi region widely speak Sindhi. A large number of approximately over 4 million Afghan refugees moved to Quetta and other cities of Balochistan after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Near the Kalat region and other parts of the province there are significant numbers of Baloch Brahui speakers. Along the coast there are various Makrani Balochi speakers who predominates. A large number of Afghan refugees can also be found in the province, including Pashtuns, Hazaras and Tajiks. Many Sindhi farmers have moved to the more arable lands in the east.There are substantial No of Hindkowans living in Quetta. Former education Minster Shafiq Ahmed Khan was from Hindko community.Shafiq was shot dead by terrorists. His brother Tahir Ahmed Khan is now Balochistan's education Ministers. Famous Businessman and preacher Peer Ali Shah was also from Hindko community. He was brother in law of Dr.Syed Mehboob famous Hindko, English and Urdu writer.
| Historical populations | ||
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| Census | Population | Urban |
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| 1951 | 1,167,167 | 12.38% |
| 1961 | 1,353,484 | 16.87% |
| 1972 | 2,428,678 | 16.45% |
| 1981 | 4,332,376 | 15.62% |
| 1998 | 6,565,885 | 23.89% |
Balochistani culture is primarily tribal, deeply patriarchal and conservative. Baloch society is dominated by tribal chieftains called Mirs, Sardars and Nawabs, who are the ruling elite of Balochistan and have been criticized for blocking the educational development and empowerment of the common baloch people.
| Provincial animal | Camel | |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial bird | Houbara bustard | |
| Provincial tree | Date Palm | |
| Provincial flower | Ephedra distachya |
In common with the other provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan has a parliamentary form of government. The ceremonial head of the province is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of Pakistan on the advice of the provincial Chief Minister. The chief executive of the province is the Chief Minister who is normally the leader of the largest party or alliance in the provincial assembly. The unicameral Provincial Assembly of Balochistan comprises 65 seats of which 4% are reserved for non-Muslims and 16% for women only. The judicial branch of government is carried out by the Balochistan High Court, based in Quetta, and headed by a Chief Justice. For administrative purposes, the province is subdivided into 30 districts:[20]
Tourism remains limited but has increased due to the exotic appeal of the province. Limited farming in the east as well as fishing along the Arabian Sea coastline are other forms of income and sustenance for the local populations. Due to the tribal lifestyle of many Baloch and Brahui, animal husbandry is important, as are trading bazaars found throughout the province.
The income of the province is largely obtained through extraction of exhaustible natural resources such as natural gas, coal and minerals.
The Mirani Dam[21] on the Dasht River, 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the Makran Division, is being built to provide water to expand agricultural land use by 35,000 km2 (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be unsustainable. The largest water customer will be the regional resource extraction industry.
Balochistan's share of the national income has historically ranged between 3.7% to 4.9%.[22] Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has grown in size by 2.7 times.[23] Outside Quetta the resource extraction infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan. There are currently several major exhaustible-resource-extraction related construction projects in progress in Balochistan, including the construction of a new deep sea port at Gwadar.[24] Exhaustible resources trade will be conducted via the port to and from China.
There is also Chinese involvement in the nearby Saindak gold and copper mining project.
A large gold and copper deposit exists in the Chagai District and has been called the Reko Diq. The main license (EL5) is held jointly by the Government of Balochistan (25%) the rest is held by foreign interests Antofagasta Minerals (37.5%) and Barrick Gold (37.5%). These deposits are comparable in size to nationally-controlled deposits Sarcheshmeh in Iran and Escondida in Chile (which are the second and the third largest proven deposits of copper in the world).
Foreign multinationals BHP Billiton and Tethyan entered into a joint venture with the Balochistan government to develop these deposits. The potential annual copper production has been estimated to be 900,000 to 2.2 million tons. The deposits seem to be largely of porphyry rock nature.
The agreements for royalty rights and ownership of these immense exhaustible resources were reached during a period of unprecedented natural disasters, economic, social, political, and cultural unrest in the country. The negotiations were widely considered to be insufficiently transparent. [25]
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