New Delhi: As the Union government explores several military options in response to the Pahalgam terror attack following initial diplomatic measures, multiple BJP leaders have indicated that India’s response may focus on supporting the cause of Balochistan’s independence, similar to how Indira Gandhi aided the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 by supporting freedom fighters in then-east Pakistan.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said Balochistan will “become a new nation”, while BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also spoke of supporting a separate Balochistan. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has likewise voiced support for the Baloch freedom movement.
On 24 April, two days after the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at an election rally in Bihar, vowed that the punishment for the attack would be “beyond the imagination” of the terrorists. “Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world—India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.”
Since then, the Union government has already used diplomatic action by downsizing the diplomatic mission, stopping visas, closing the Atari border, and putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold. In that time, many BJP leaders have supported the cause of the Balochistan rebels openly.
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BJP leaders back Baloch movement
On Sunday, Goa CM Sawant declared that “Pakistan is on the verge of a split, and Balochistan will be a new nation”.
Addressing BJP workers Sunday in Panaji, Sawant said, “Bharat was one country. After it was divided, India and Pakistan were formed. In 1971, Pakistan was divided into two countries and a new country of Bangladesh was born. Again, a new country called Balochistan is likely to be born.”
Sawant is not the only one. MP Nishikant Dubey was the first BJP leader to declare that “Balochistan will be formed and Pakistan will be divided into pieces” soon after the terror attack.
Following PM’s speech in Bihar, on 24 April, in a post on X, the BJP MP said, “Now Pakistan will be divided into pieces. You can assume that a separate Balochistan will also be formed.”
Referring to Pashtun independence activist Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, he added, “The Pakhtunistan of Simant Gandhi’s dream will be formed. Sindh is already separate because of the Muhajirs. A ruined Pakistan will look annihilated.”
56 इंच के चौड़े सीने के साथ माननीय प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी को मैंने आज बिहार में शिव तांडव की मुद्रा में देखा, अब पाकिस्तान के टुकड़े होंगे, मानकर चलिए अलग बलूचिस्तान भी बनेगा, सीमांत गांधी जी के सपनों का पख़्तूनिस्तान भी बनेगा, सिंध तो मुहाजिर के कारण अलग है ही। बर्बाद पाकिस्तान…
— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) April 24, 2025
A day after his first post, Dubey shared a video of Baloch activist Naela Quadri Baloch. While sharing the video on X, Dubey wrote, “India is the mother of Pakistanis, said exiled Prime Minister of Balochistan Nayyal Qadri. We will kill the blood-sucking Pakistanis by cutting off their water supply and torturing them. The Prime Minister’s 56-inch chest will destroy Pakistan.”
In a third post on Balochistan, posted the same day, Dubey shared a post claiming Baloch Army fighters had eliminated 10 personnel of the Pakistan Army in a remote-controlled IED attack in a market in a suburb of Quetta. Dubey wrote, “The Balochis finished off the Pakistan Army. Pakistan will now be torn into pieces like our tukde-tukde gang, 56 inch.”
Meanwhile, Assam CM Sarma in a post on X Sunday, while expressing solidarity with the Baloch freedom struggle, said, “Today, the Balochistan movement stands as a symbol of an indigenous people’s enduring aspiration for dignity, rights, and control over their own destiny — a struggle marked by immense sacrifice, resilience, and an unbroken spirit for freedom.”
The Balochistan freedom movement traces its roots to the tumultuous events of 1947–1948, when the princely state of Kalat, representing much of what is today Balochistan, sought to maintain its sovereignty after the end of British colonial rule. Despite initial negotiations for…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 27, 2025
Not the first time
This is not the first time the Indian government has referenced the Balochistan freedom cause as a means of deterrence against Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism policy targeting India. In 2016, PM Modi created a diplomatic flutter after he referenced the people of Balochistan in his Independence Day speech. This was widely seen as a shift in India’s foreign policy—openly supporting the Baloch freedom struggle as a counterbalance to Pakistan’s interference in Kashmir.
In his speech, Modi accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorism, referring to a Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in 2014 in which more than 130 children were killed.
“On the other side, terrorism is being glorified. When innocent people are killed in terrorist attacks, there are celebrations. How governments are formed through inspiration of terrorism. The world will understand this difference clearly,” PM Modi said.
He then said he wanted to “greet and express my thanks to some people, adding that the “people of Balochistan, Gilgit, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me, have expressed gratitude, and expressed good wishes for me.”
That year, the Indian government was grappling with unrest in Kashmir following the death of militant Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces. Then-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif called Wani a “martyr” of the Kashmir cause. A day before Modi’s Independence Day speech, Sharif and Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit dedicated their 70th Independence Day to the “freedom of Kashmir from Indian rule”.
Soon after Modi’s speech, Pakistan’s foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz accused India of meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs. He said, “PM Modi’s reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, only proves Pakistan’s contention that India, through its intelligence agency RAW, has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan.”
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran. It is rich in minerals and fuel resources and hosts the deep-water port of Gwadar—a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. China has a significant presence in Balochistan.
A day after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif brought up the Balochistan issue. He alleged, “Whatever is happening in Balochistan, India has a hand in it, it is their patronage—whether they are doing it sitting in Afghanistan or somewhere else. But there is a long history of India’s patronage wherever terrorist attacks are taking place inside Pakistan.”
Just last month, militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the Jaffar Express carrying 440 passengers on March 11, killing 21 passengers and four paramilitary personnel. Following the attack, Pakistan’s Army Chief had to reassure foreign investors that Pakistan would provide robust security to protect their interests.
‘Long-term deterrence’
Many BJP leaders admit that this is the “right situation” for India to establish long-term deterrence by supporting Baloch rebels and increasing the pressure on Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and army. This, particularly at a time when Pakistan is fighting multiple domestic crises. However, they acknowledge that this decision involves multiple considerations and must be viewed holistically by the government, especially on whether to support rebels directly or through covert means.
Jagannath Sarkar, BJP MP and member of the standing committee on defence, said, “Supporting Balochistan rebels in their freedom struggle is one of the steps the government should explore. The Indian government can take a tit-for-tat response by intervening in Balochistan. It will serve as a long-term deterrent against Pakistan.”
Another BJP MP from the standing committee, Rajiv Bhardwaj, told ThePrint, “The entire country is behind PM Modi. Now it’s up to the Prime Minister and the defence minister to decide the appropriate response after consulting the chiefs of the armed forces.”
However, many security experts warn that such a move could escalate into full-scale war. They argue that India must clearly define its political objectives before directly confronting Pakistan over Balochistan, especially given China’s strategic interests in the region. Direct intervention by India could open another front with Beijing.
Former Army Chief General V.P. Malik told ThePrint, “India will have to use every possible method to punish Pakistan, whether overt or covert.”
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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