Nehru's blooper, Pakistan's belligerence and a lost Balochistan

Balochistan, a region that should be celebrated for its rich natural resources, breathtaking mountainous terrain and distinctive culture has been in the spotlight for severe human rights violations by Pakistani forces, insurgency and freedom struggle over the past several decades. “In 1946, Jinnah, the legal adviser of the Khan of Kalat, submitted a Memorandum to the Cabinet Mission that, inter alia, demanded the separation of Balochistan from British India on geographical grounds,” informed Tilak Devasher in his book “Pakistan: The Balochistan Conundrum.” Pakistani author Rizwan Zeb in “The Friday Times” pointed out that the Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, also asserted that Muhammad Ali Jinnah wholeheartedly endorsed his stance and deeds during the time of the Khan of Kalat’s independence declaration. Unfortunately, Ahmed Yar Khan’s goal of ruling Kalat as an independent state was all but dashed when Kharan, LasBela and Makran joined Pakistan. The accession of Kharan, Las Bela and Makran to Pakistan, according to Ahmed Yar Khan’s biography “Inside Baluchistan,” hurt the country’s regional relations. Gul Khan Naseer’s “Tahreekh-e-Balochistan,” also verified the same and reported that on 27th March 1948, “All India Radio” broadcasted a press conference wherein Menon stated that two months prior, the Khan of Kalat had submitted a request for accession to New Delhi, but the offer had been turned down.