When Balochistan Nearly Became Part Of India, And How It Slipped Away

Last Updated:February 03, 2026, 17:08 IST

Balochistan, once the independent State of Kalat after 1947, sought ties with India but joined Pakistan under pressure in 1948, fueling ongoing tensions over its autonomy

Historical accounts suggest that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was initially reluctant to integrate Balochistan into Pakistan. (News18 Hindi)

As tensions continue to simmer in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, marked by periodic insurgency and heavy military deployment, historians point to a lesser-known episode from the 1947 Partition era that continues to shape the region’s fraught relationship with Pakistan.

When India and Pakistan emerged as independent nations in August 1947, Balochistan, then largely comprising the princely State of Kalat, did not immediately join either country. On August 15, 1947, Kalat declared itself an independent state, a status it retained for more than seven months.

For approximately 227 days, Balochistan functioned as a sovereign entity, a fact documented in historical records, including reports by the BBC and academic research by German political scientist Martin Axmann in his book Back to the Future: The Khanate of Kalat and the Genesis of Baloch Nationalism 1915-1955.

Historical accounts suggest that Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was initially reluctant to integrate Balochistan into the new state. According to Axmann and other scholars, Jinnah viewed the region as sparsely populated, economically underdeveloped, and difficult to administer. In the immediate aftermath of Partition, he is believed to have favoured Balochistan remaining independent rather than becoming part of Pakistan.

At the same time, sections of Baloch political leadership were reportedly more inclined towards India’s secular and democratic framework than the Muslim League’s ideological position. Leaders from the Kalat State National Party had participated in the All India State Peoples Conference in 1945, where Jawaharlal Nehru was the chief guest. Contemporary accounts indicate that Baloch nationalists were wary of being subsumed into Pakistan solely on religious grounds and sought to protect their distinct cultural and historical identity, which they saw as closer to Iran than to the Indian subcontinent.

Former diplomat VP Menon and historian TCA Raghavan have written that the Khan of Kalat and other Baloch leaders explored diplomatic channels with New Delhi and formally conveyed their interest in acceding to India. Menon records that the Nehru government declined the proposal, citing the lack of geographical contiguity and the near certainty that such a move would provoke armed conflict with Pakistan.

With the prospect of Indian support receding, Pakistan hardened its position. In March 1948, Pakistani troops entered Balochistan, and the Khan of Kalat was compelled to sign the instrument of accession. While the merger was accompanied by assurances of autonomy and non-interference in internal affairs, Baloch leaders have long argued that these commitments were violated almost immediately.

Historians remain divided on whether Balochistan’s overtures to India reflected a genuine desire for accession or a tactical move by the Khan of Kalat to preserve his authority by leveraging interest from India and Iran. Baloch nationalists, however, contend that New Delhi’s reluctance altered the region’s destiny and argue that, had India engaged more decisively, it might today have had a strategic partner along the Arabian Sea.

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