The BRICS TimesThe action follows the Bollywood star’s comments at a Saudi Arabia event where he referred to Balochistan as a separate nation, leading Pakistan to categorize him under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan recently spoke at a show in Saudi Arabia. He called Balochistan a separate country from Pakistan. This comment has deeply angered the neighbouring nation. The Shahbaz government has now declared Salman Khan a terrorist. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has also issued an official notification about this action.
The Interior Ministry of Pakistan added Salman Khan to its Fourth Schedule. This effectively means he is designated as a terrorist. This list falls under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Any person on this list faces legal action in Pakistan. An official notification has been released concerning this matter. However, Salman Khan or his representatives have not yet responded to the development.
What Exactly Did Salman Khan Say?
A video of the Bollywood actor went viral on social media. He was speaking at the Joy Forum 2025 event in Saudi Arabia. In the video, he stated, “These are people from Balochistan, people from Afghanistan, people from Pakistan, everyone is working hard in Saudi Arabia.” He mentioned Balochistan separately from Pakistan in this particular statement.
Anger has spread across Pakistan following Salman’s remarks. Conversely, Balochistan’s separatist leaders are delighted. They are expressing gratitude to the actor. It remains unclear if Salman intentionally separated Balochistan’s name. It is also not certain if he made the comment unknowingly.
Baloch Leader’s Response to Salman’s Statement
Mir Yar Baloch wants Balochistan to be a sovereign nation. He is a prominent separatist leader. He said, “Indian film legend Salman Khan’s reference to Balochistan in Saudi Arabia brought joy to six crore Baloch citizens.”
He further stated, “Salman did something many big nations hesitate to do. These signs of cultural recognition are a powerful means of soft diplomacy. They connect people’s hearts and encourage the world. They inspire the world to recognize Balochistan as a separate nation.”
Balochistan’s Ongoing Fight for Independence
The main reason for the insurgency is discrimination by the Pakistan government. This province is very rich in mineral resources. However, it remains Pakistan’s most economically backward state.
Pakistan handed over the Gwadar Port in Balochistan to China. Yet, the local people received no benefit from this project. Therefore, Chinese projects face continuous protests here. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is being built here. Attacks occur frequently on this construction work.
Balochistan covers almost 46% of Pakistan’s area. Its population, however, is only 1.5 crore people. This is about 6% of Pakistan’s total population. Around 70% of the people here live below the poverty line.
Furthermore, people of Baloch origin face discrimination in Pakistan. They are mostly discriminated against by Muslims from the Punjab region. Baloch people are also not appointed to top positions in the Pakistani Army. This situation further increases the existing discontent.
BLA’s Recent Violent Actions Against Pakistan
- January 4, 2025: BLA attacked and killed 43 Pakistani soldiers.
- February 1, 2025: Attack on paramilitary forces killed 18 personnel.
- March 12, 2025: Train hijacked, resulting in the death of 200 soldiers.
- March 16, 2025: Bus attacked, which killed 90 soldiers.
- May 6, 2025: Six soldiers were killed in an attack.
- May 7, 2025: An attack led to the killing of 12 soldiers.
Akshay Didwaniya
Pratik Agrawal
Mayur Mohta
Aditya Didwaniya