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#REDIRECT [[Balochistan (Pakistan)]]
{{Short description|Province of Pakistan}}
{{About|the province of Pakistan|the geographic region|Balochistan|other uses|Balochistan (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Balochistan
| type                    = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Province]]
| official_name            = <!-- If different from name -->
| native_name              = {{Lang|ur|{{nq|بلوچستان}}}}
| native_name_lang        = ur
| image_skyline            = {{Photomontage
| photo1a              =  Quaid-e-Azam Residancy Ziarat Balochistan by Balochlens.jpg
| photo2a                = Princes of Hope, Hingol National Park, Pakistan.jpg
| photo2b                = Hanna Lake Quetta.jpg
| photo3a                = Chiltan Mountain.jpg
| photo3b                = Kund Malir Beach, Balochistan.jpg
| photo4a                = Baluchistan Canyons.jpg
| spacing                = 1
| color_border        = white
| color                    = white
| size                    = 280
}}
| image_caption            = <div style="background:#fee8ab;">Top left to right (anti-clockwise):  [[Quaid-e-Azam Residency]], [[Princess of Hope]], [[Koh-i-Chiltan]], [[Hingol National Park|Canyons of Balochistan]], [[Kund Malir]], [[Hanna Lake]]</div>
| image_flag              = Flag of Balochistan.svg
| flag_alt                =
| image_seal              = Coat of arms of Balochistan.svg
| nickname                =
| image_map                = Balochistan in Pakistan (claims hatched).svg
| map_alt                  =
| map_caption              = Location of Balochistan in Pakistan
| coordinates              = {{coord|27.7|65.7|region:PK_type:adm1st_dim:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes    =
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| subdivision_type1        =
| subdivision_name1        =
| established_title        = Established
| established_date        = [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|1 July 1970]]
| seat_type                = Provincial Capital
| seat                    = [[Quetta]]
| seat1_type              = Largest city
| seat1                    = [[Quetta]]
| parts_type              = Subdivisions
| blank_name_sec1          = [[Languages of Pakistan|Main Language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1          = {{unbulleted list|[[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Brahui language|Brahui]], [[Hazaragi dialect|Hazaragi]], [[Pashto]], [[Urdu]]}}
| blank1_name_sec1        = Notable sports teams
| blank1_info_sec1        = [[Quetta Gladiators]]<br />[[Quetta Bears]]<br />[[Balochistan cricket team]]
| parts_style              = list
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Divisions of Pakistan|Divisions]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = 8
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Districts of Balochistan, Pakistan|Districts]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = 35
| blank3_name_sec2        = [[List of tehsils of Balochistan|Tehsils]]
| blank3_info_sec2        = 134
| blank4_name_sec2        = [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]]
| blank4_info_sec2        = 86
| government_footnotes    =
| government_type          = [[Autonomy|Self-governing Province]] subject to the [[Government of Pakistan|Federal Government]]
| governing_body          = [[Government of Balochistan, Pakistan|Government of Balochistan]]
| leader_party            =
| leader_title            = [[Governor of Balochistan, Pakistan|Governor]]
| leader_name              = [[Syed Zahoor Ahmad Agha]]
| leader_title1            = [[List of Chief Ministers of Balochistan|Chief Minister]]
| leader_name1            = [[Abdul Quddus Bizenjo]]
| leader_title2            = [[Chief Secretary Balochistan|Chief Secretary]]
| leader_name2            = Mather Niaz Rana<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nation.com.pk/17-Jan-2022/steps-afoot-to-restore-quetta-s-traditional-beauty|title=Steps afoot to restore Quetta’s traditional beauty|date=17 January 2022|access-date=19 January 2022|work=The Nation (newspaper)}}</ref>
| leader_title3            = [[Legislature]]
| leader_name3            = [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan|Provincial Assembly]]
| leader_title4            = [[High Courts of Pakistan|High Court]]
| leader_name4            = [[Balochistan High Court]]
| unit_pref                = Metric
| area_footnotes          =
| area_total_km2          = 347190
| area_rank                = 1st
| area_note                =
| elevation_footnotes      =
| elevation_m              =
| population_total        = 12,335,129
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_as_of        = 2017
| population_rank          = 4th
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf|title=DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017|publisher=pbscensus.gov.pk|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf|archive-date=29 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="POP">{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-population-increased-by-46-9-between-1998-and-2011/articleshow/12453387.cms|title=Pak population increased by 46.9% between 1998 and 2011|work=The Times of India|access-date=27 January 2016|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129125417/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pak-population-increased-by-46-9-between-1998-and-2011/articleshow/12453387.cms|archive-date=29 January 2016}}</ref>
| population_demonym      = [[Baloch people|Baloch]]
| population_note          =
| blank2_name_sec1        = [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank2_info_sec1        = 0.475 {{increase}}<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/PAK/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=1&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref><br />{{color|#900|low}}
| timezone1                = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset1              = +05:00
| postal_code_type        =
| postal_code              =
| area_code                =
| area_code_type          =
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:PK|PK-BA]]
| blank3_name_sec1        = [[National Assembly of Pakistan|Seats in National Assembly]]
| blank3_info_sec1        = 30
| blank_name_sec2          = [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan|Seats in Provincial Assembly]]
| blank_info_sec2          = 65
| website                  = {{URL|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk}}
| footnotes                =
}}
{{Contains special characters|Balochi}}
'''Balochistan''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|ˌ|l|ɒ|tʃ|ᵻ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n|,_|-|s|t|æ|n}}; {{Lang-bal|بلوچستان}}) is one of the four [[Administrative units of Pakistan|provinces of Pakistan]]. It is the largest province in terms of land area, forming the southwestern region of the country, but is the least populated. Its provincial capital and largest city is [[Quetta]].
 
Balochistan shares borders with [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] and the [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] to the northeast, [[Sindh]] to the east and southeast, the [[Arabian Sea]] to the south, [[Iran]] to the west and [[Afghanistan]] to the north and northwest.
 
The main ethnic groups in the province are the [[Baloch people]] (60%), speaking [[Balochi language|Balochi]] and [[Brahui language|Brahui]] languages, and the [[Pashtuns]] (25%), according to the 2008 census.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/708123|title=The tricky demographics of Balochistan|date=5 April 2012|first=Muhammad|last=Lakdawalla|access-date=16 May 2017|publisher=[[Dawn News]]|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125045435/http://www.dawn.com/news/708123|archive-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> Other smaller communities include [[Hazaras]], [[Sindhis]], [[Punjabis]], [[Uzbeks]] and [[Turkmens]]. The name "[[Balochistan]]" means "the land of the Baloch". Largely underdeveloped, its [[Economy of Balochistan, Pakistan|provincial economy]] is dominated by natural resources, especially its [[Oil and Gas Development Company|natural gas fields]], estimated to have sufficient capacity to supply Pakistan's demands over the medium to long term. Aside from Quetta, the second-largest city of the province is [[Turbat]] in the south, while another area of major economic importance is [[Gwadar Port]] on the Arabian Sea.
 
Balochistan is noted for its [[Culture of Balochistan|unique culture]] and extremely dry [[List of deserts of Pakistan|desert climate]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Balochistan|title=Balochistan {{!}} province, Pakistan|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2017-04-05|language=en|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405173533/https://www.britannica.com/place/Balochistan|archive-date=5 April 2017}}</ref>
 
==History==
{{Main|History of Balochistan}}
[[File:Quetta4m.jpg|thumb|Quetta cantonment in 1889]]
[[File:Bolan Pass 1842.jpg|thumb|upright|A historical sketch of [[Bolan Pass]], Balochistan, Pakistan]]
 
===Early history===
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2012}}
[[File:IVC-major-sites-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Map showing the sites and extent of the [[Indus Valley Civilisation]]. [[Mohenjo-Daro]] and [[Mehrgarh]] were among the centres of the Indus Valley Civilisation in the modern-day province. Balochistan marked the westernmost territory of the civilisation, which was one of the most developed in the old [[Bronze Age]] in the world.]]
Balochistan occupies the very southeasternmost portion of the [[Iranian Plateau]], the setting for the earliest known farming settlements in the pre-[[Indus Valley Civilisation]] era, the earliest of which was [[Mehrgarh]], dated at 7000 BC, within the province. Balochistan marked the westernmost extent of civilisation. Centuries before the arrival of [[Islam]] in the 7th Century, parts of Balochistan were ruled by the [[Paratarajas]], an [[Indo-Scythians|Indo-Scythian]] dynasty. At certain times, the [[Kushans]] also held political sway in parts of Balochistan.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}
 
The Hindu [[Sewa Dynasty]] ruled parts of Balochistan, chiefly [[Kalat, Pakistan|Kalat]].<ref name="FowleRai1923">{{cite book |last1=Fowle |first1=T. C. |last2=Rai |first2=Diwan Jamiat |title=Baluchistan |date=1923 |publisher=Directorate of Archives, Government of Balochistan |page=100 |language=en |quote=The Hindus of Kalat town may indeed be far more indigenous, since they claim descent from the ancient Sewa dynasty that ruled Kalat long before the Brahuis came to Baluchistan.}}</ref><ref name="Nisa1979">{{cite book |title=Balochistan Through the Ages: Geography and history |date=1979 |publisher=Nisa Traders |page=316 |language=en |quote=The country up to and including Multan was conquered by the Arabs and the Hindu dynasty of Sind and probably also the Sewa dynasty of Kalat came to an end.}}</ref> The [[Sibi Division]], which was carved out of [[Quetta Division]] and [[Kalat Division]] in 1974, derives its name from Rani Sewi, the queen of the Sewa dynasty.<ref name="Quddus1990">{{cite book |last1=Quddus |first1=Syed Abdul |title=The Tribal Baluchistan |date=1990 |publisher=[[Ferozsons]] |isbn=978-969-0-10047-4 |page=49 |language=en|quote=The Sibi division was carved out of the Quetta and Kalat Divisions in April, 1974, and comprises districts of Sibi, Kachhi, Nasirabad, Kohlu and Dera Bugti. The Division derives its name from the town of Sibi or Sewi. The local tradition attributes the origin of this name to Rani Sewi of the Sewa dynasty which ruled this part of the country in ancient times.}}</ref>
 
A theory of the origin of the [[Baloch people]], the largest ethnic group in the region, is that they are of [[Medes|Median]] descent.<ref>M. Longworth Dames, Balochi Folklore, ''Folklore'', Vol. 13, No. 3 (29 September 1902), pp. 252–274</ref>
 
===Arrival of Islam===
In 654, Abdulrehman ibn Samrah, governor of Sistan and the newly emerged [[Rashidun caliphate]] at the expense of Sassanid Persia and the [[Byzantine Empire]], 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 [[Quetta District]] in north-western Balochistan and conquered the area up to the ancient cities of ''Dawar'' and ''Qandabil'' ([[Bolan District|Bolan]]).<ref>Tabqat ibn Saad, Vol. 8, p. 471</ref> It is documented that the major settlements, falling within today's province, became in 654 controlled by the Rashidun caliphate, except for the well-defended mountain town of ''QaiQan'' which is now [[Kalat, Pakistan|Kalat]].
 
During the caliphate of [[Ali ibn Abi Talib|Ali]], a revolt broke out in southern Balochistan's Makran region.<ref>{{cite book|last=Saxena|first=Sunil K.|title=History of Medieval India|publisher=Pinnacle Technology|year=2011}}</ref> In 663, during the reign of [[Umayyad]] Caliph [[Muawiyah I]], his Muslim rule lost control of north-eastern Balochistan and Kalat when Haris ibn Marah and a large part of his army died in battle against a revolt in Kalat.<ref>Tarikh al Khulfa, Vol. 1, pp. 214–215, 229</ref>
 
===Pre-modern era===
In the 15th century, [[Mir Chakar Khan Rind]] became the first [[Sirdar]] of Afghani, Irani and Pakistani Balochistan. He was a close aide of the [[Timurid dynasty|Timurid]] ruler [[Humayun]], and was succeeded by the [[Khanate of Kalat]], which owed allegiance to the [[Mughal Empire]]. Later, [[Nader Shah]] won the allegiance of the rulers of eastern Balochistan. He ceded [[Kalhora]], one of the [[Sindh]] territories of [[Sibi]]-Kachi, to the [[Khanate of Kalat]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://urdukhabrain.pk/2018/01/01/urdu-news-11685|title=urdukhabrain.pk|access-date=1 January 2018|archive-date=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101195939/https://urdukhabrain.pk/2018/01/01/urdu-news-11685|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v3f6/v3f6a030.html Iranica.com] {{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://panhwar.org/Article26.htm|title=Ghulam Shah Kalhora and Relations With Kutch|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219221911/http://panhwar.org/Article26.htm|archive-date=19 February 2015}}</ref> [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], founder of the Afghan Empire, also won the allegiance of that area's rulers, and many Baloch fought under him during the [[Third Battle of Panipat]]. Most of the area would eventually revert to local Baloch control after Afghan rule.
 
===British Indian era===
In 1876, [[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|northern Baluchistan]] became one of the [[Presidencies and provinces of British India]] in [[colonial India]].<ref name="Henige1970">{{cite book |last1=Henige |first1=David P. |title=Colonial Governors from the Fifteenth Century to the Present: A Comprehensive List |date=1970 |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |page=89 |language=en |quote=The British began to assume control over the rough desert region in extreme western India known as Baluchistan in the 1870s.}}</ref> During this time from the fall of the [[Durrani Empire]] in 1823, four [[princely state]]s were recognised and reinforced in Balochistan: [[Makran (princely state)|Makran]], [[Kharan (princely state)|Kharan]], [[Las Bela (princely state)|Las Bela]] and [[Kalat (princely state)|Kalat]]. In 1876, [[Robert Groves Sandeman|Robert Sandeman]] negotiated the [[Treaty of Kalat]], which brought the Khan's territories, including Kharan, Makran, and Las Bela, under British protection, even though they remained independent princely states.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Naseer|last1=Dashti|title=The Baloch and Balochistan: A Historical Account from the Beginning to the Fall of the Baloch State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xIjyLNpusbAC|year=2012|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=978-1-4669-5896-8|page=247}}</ref> After the [[Second Afghan War]] was ended by the [[Treaty of Gandamak]] in May 1879, the [[Mohammad Yaqub Khan|Afghan Emir]] ceded the districts of Quetta, [[Pishin District|Pishin]], [[Harnai District|Harnai]], Sibi and [[Thal Chotiali]] to British control. On 1 April 1883, the British took control of the [[Bolan Pass]], south-east of Quetta, from the [[Khan of Kalat]]. In 1887, small additional areas of Balochistan were declared British territory.<ref>{{cite book|author=Peter R. Blood|title=Pakistan: A Country Study|publisher=DIANE Publishing|year=1996|page=20}}</ref> 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 British-controlled areas.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Two devastating earthquakes occurred in Balochistan during British colonial rule: the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]], which devastated [[Quetta]], and the [[1945 Balochistan earthquake]] with its epicentre in the Makran region.<ref>{{cite book|title=Foreign Affairs Pakistan, Volume 32, Issues 11–12|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs|year=2005|page=257}}</ref> During the time of the [[Indian independence movement]], "three pro-Congress parties were still active in Balochistan's politics", such as the [[Anjuman-i-Watan Baluchistan]], which [[Opposition to the partition of India|favoured a united India and opposed its partition]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Afzal |first1=M. Rafique |title=Pakistan: History and Politics 1947-1971 |date=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=40 |isbn=978-0-19-579634-6 |quote=Besides the Balochistan Muslim League, three pro-Congress parties were still active in Balochistan's politics: the Anjuman-i Watan, the Jamiatul Ulama u Hind, and the Qalat State National Party.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ranjan |first1=Amit |title=Partition of India: Postcolonial Legacies |date=2018 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9780429750526 |language=en|quote=Furthermore, Congress leadership of Balochistan was united and there was no disagreement over its president, Samad Khan Achakzai. On the other hand, Qazi Isa was the president of the League in Balochistan. Surprisingly, he was neither a Balochi nor a Sardar. Consequently, all Sardars except Jaffar Khan Jamali, were against Qazi Isa for contesting this seat.}}</ref>
 
===After independence===
[[File:Quetta Railway Station - 40311.jpg|thumb|[[Quetta Railway Station]]]]
In British-ruled Colonial India, Baluchistan contained a [[Balochistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Chief Commissioner's province]] and [[princely state]]s (including [[Kalat (princely state)|Kalat]], [[Makran (princely state)|Makran]], [[Las Bela (princely state)|Las Bela]] and [[Kharan (princely state)|Kharan]]) that became a part of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hasnat|first=Syed Farooq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KiELa2EoA04C|title=Global Security Watch–Pakistan|publisher=Praeger|year=2011|isbn=978-0-313-34697-2|pages=94,113}}</ref> The province's Shahi [[Jirga]] (the grand council of tribal elders<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shahi Jirga Records|url=http://balochistanarchives.gob.pk/Shahi-Jirga-Records|url-status=live|access-date=2021-09-24|website=Balochistan Archives|publisher=Government of Balochistan Directorate of Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307140248/http://balochistanarchives.gob.pk/Shahi-Jirga-Records|archive-date=7 March 2014}}</ref>) and the non-official members of the [[Quetta|Quetta Municipality]],<ref name="CheemaRiemer1990" /> according to the Pakistani narrative,<ref name="rafisheikh" />{{Rp|80|quote=According to the official narrative of Pakistan, the referendum in (British) Balochistan decidedly included it into Pakistan.}} agreed to join Pakistan unanimously on 29 June 1947;<ref name="CheemaRiemer1990">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CX6xCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA60|title=Pakistan's Defence Policy 1947-58|author1=Pervaiz I Cheema|author2=Manuel Riemer|date=22 August 1990|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|isbn=978-1-349-20942-2|pages=60–}}</ref> however, the Shahi Jirga was stripped of its members from the Kalat State prior to the vote.<ref name="rafisheikh"/>{{Rp|81}} The then-president of the Baluchistan Muslim League, [[Qazi Mohammad Isa|Qazi Muhammad Isa]], informed [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]] that "Shahi Jirga in no way represents the popular wishes of the masses" and that members of the Kalat State were "excluded from voting; only representatives from the British part of the province voted and the British part included the leased areas of Quetta, Nasirabad Tehsil, Nushki and Bolan Agency."<ref name="rafisheikh"/>{{Rp|81}} Following the referendum, on 22 June 1947 the Khan of Kalat received a letter from members of the Shahi Jirga, as well as [[sardar]]s from the leased areas of Baluchistan, stating that they, "as a part of the Baloch nation, were a part of the Kalat state too" and that if the question of Baluchistan's accession to Pakistan arise, "they should be deemed part of the Kalat state rather than (British) Balochistan".<ref name="rafisheikh"/>{{Rp|82}} This has brought into question whether an actual vote took place in the town hall "and that the announcement in favour of accession was secured through sheer manipulation."<ref name="rafisheikh"/>{{Rp|82}} Political scientist Salman Rafi Sheikh, in locating the origins of the [[insurgency in Balochistan]], says "that Balochistan's accession to Pakistan was, as against the officially projected narrative, not based upon consensus, nor was support for Pakistan overwhelming. What this manipulation indicates is that even before formally becoming a part of Pakistan, Balochistan had fallen a prey to political victimization."<ref name="rafisheikh">{{cite book |last1=Sheikh |first1=Salman Rafi |title=The Genesis of Baloch Nationalism: Politics and Ethnicity in Pakistan, 1947–1977 |date=2018 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=978-1-351-02068-8}}</ref>{{Rp|82}}
 
Initially aspiring for independence,<ref name="CheemaRiemer1990" /> the Khan of Kalat finally acceded to Pakistan on 27 March 1948 after period of negotiations with Pakistan.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=The princely India|author=Yaqoob Khan Bangash|url=http://tns.thenews.com.pk/the-princely-india/#.WNR5woWcHIV|date=10 May 2015|newspaper=The News on Sunday|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225043014/http://tns.thenews.com.pk/the-princely-india/#.WNR5woWcHIV|archive-date=25 December 2015|access-date=4 July 2017}}</ref> The signing of the Instrument of Accession by [[Ahmad Yar Khan]] led his brother, [[Prince Abdul Karim]], to revolt against his brother's decision due to their family rift.<ref name=":1"/> in July 1948.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzivCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA82|title=State and Nation-Building in Pakistan: Beyond Islam and Security|first=Roger|first2=Gurharpal|first3=Yunas|last4=Talbot|first4=Ian|publisher=Routledge|year=2015|isbn=978-1-317-44820-4|page=82|author1=D. Long|last2=Singh|last3=Samad}}</ref> Princes Agha Abdul Karim Baloch and Muhammad Rahim refused to lay down arms, leading the Dosht-e Jhalawan in unconventional attacks on the army until 1950.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|author=Qaiser Butt|title=Princely Liaisons: The Khan family controls politics in Kalat|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/538820/princely-liaisons-the-khan-family-controls-politics-in-kalat/|newspaper=The Express Tribune|date=22 April 2013|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222175413/http://tribune.com.pk/story/538820/princely-liaisons-the-khan-family-controls-politics-in-kalat/|archive-date=22 December 2015}}</ref> The Prince indulged in Terror activities without any assistance from others.<ref name="Siddiqi2012">{{cite book|author=Farhan Hanif Siddiqi|title=The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi and Mohajir Ethnic Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tDb6i9x1FKgC&pg=PA71|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-68614-3|page=71}}</ref> Jinnah and his successors allowed Yar Khan to retain his title until the province's dissolution in 1955.
 
[[Balochistan conflict|Insurgencies]] by Baloch nationalists took place in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–77, with a new ongoing insurgency by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups since 2003.<ref name="Hussain-4-25-13">{{cite news|last1=Hussain|first1=Zahid|title=The battle for Balochistan|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/794058/the-battle-for-balochistan|access-date=22 June 2015|agency=Dawn|date=25 April 2013|quote=Since Balochistan became part of Pakistan some 65 years ago, Baloch nationalists have led four insurgencies – in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–1977 – which were brutally suppressed by the state. Now a fifth is under way and this time the insurgents are much stronger. Unlike the past, the educated middle-class youth, rather than tribal leaders, are leading the separatist movement.|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622220655/http://www.dawn.com/news/794058/the-battle-for-balochistan|archive-date=22 June 2015}}</ref><ref name=bbc-22-2-14>{{cite news|last1=Rashid|first1=Ahmed|title=Balochistan: The untold story of Pakistan's other war|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26272897|access-date=22 June 2015|agency=BBC News|date=22 February 2014|quote=The fifth Baloch insurgency against the Pakistan state began in 2003, with small guerrilla attacks by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups who over the years have become increasingly militant and separatist in ideology.|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728091406/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26272897|archive-date=28 July 2015}}</ref> While many Baloch support the demand for autonomy, the majority are not interested in seceding from Pakistan.<ref>[https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/624446-37pc-baloch-favour-independence-uk-survey 37pc Baloch favour independence: UK survey"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215072843/https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/624446-37pc-baloch-favour-independence-uk-survey |date=15 February 2017 }}.&nbsp;''thenews.com.pk''. Retrieved&nbsp;2017-03-07.</ref>
 
At a press conference on 8 June 2015 in Quetta, Balochistan's Home Minister [[Sarfraz Bugti]] accused India's prime minister [[Narendra Modi]] of openly supporting terrorism. Bugti implicated India's [[Research and Analysis Wing]] (RAW) of being responsible for recent attacks at military bases in Smangli and Khalid, and for subverting the [[China–Pakistan Economic Corridor]] (CPEC) agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/283360-RAW-conspiring-against-CPEC-agreement-Sarfraz-Bug|title=RAW conspiring against CPEC agreement: Sarfraz Bugti|work=Dunya News|access-date=31 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903212347/http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/Pakistan/283360-RAW-conspiring-against-CPEC-agreement-Sarfraz-Bug|archive-date=3 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-37771-RAW-behind-Mastung-killings-Sarfraz-Bugti|title=RAW behind Mastung killings: Sarfraz Bugti|date=31 May 2015|work=The News International, Pakistan|access-date=31 July 2015|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602034759/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-37771-RAW-behind-Mastung-killings-Sarfraz-Bugti|archive-date=2 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pakistantimes.com/2015/06/08/raw-more-active-after-cpec-agreement-sarfraz-bugti-371022.html|title=RAW more active after CPEC agreement: Sarfraz Bugti|work=Pakistan Times|access-date=31 July 2015|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150805023710/http://www.pakistantimes.com/2015/06/08/raw-more-active-after-cpec-agreement-sarfraz-bugti-371022.html|archive-date=5 August 2015}}</ref>
 
Gwadar, a region of Balochistan was a Colony of Oman for more than a century and in the 1960s, Pakistan took over the land. Many people in this region are therefore Omani.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1489531/world|title=Arab legacy lingers as Pakistan's Gwadar grows from tiny fishing town into port city|date=29 April 2019|website=Arab News}}</ref>
 
==Geography==
[[File:Astola Island.jpg|thumb|[[Astola Island]].]]
Balochistan is situated in the southwest of Pakistan and covers an area of {{convert|347190|km2|mi2}}. It is Pakistan's largest province by area, constituting 44% of Pakistan's total landmass. The province is bordered by [[Afghanistan]] to the north and north-west, Iran to the south-west, [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] and [[Sindh]], and [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] and the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] to the north-east. To the south lies the [[Arabian Sea]]. 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. Balochistan lies at the mouth of the [[Strait of Hormuz]] and provides the shortest route from seaports to Central Asia. Its geographical location has placed the otherwise desolate region in the scope of competing for global interests for all of recorded history.
 
The capital city Quetta is located in a densely populated portion of the [[Sulaiman Mountains]] in the northeast of the province. 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 other historic empires have crossed the region to invade Afghanistan by this route.<ref>Bolan Pass – Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition</ref>
 
Balochistan is rich in exhaustible and renewable resources; it is the second major supplier of natural gas in Pakistan. The province's renewable and human resource potential has not been systematically measured or exploited due to pressures from within and without Pakistan. Local inhabitants have chosen to live in towns and have relied on sustainable water sources for thousands of years.
 
===Climate===
The climate of the upper highlands is characterised by very cold winters and hot summers. In the lower highlands, winters vary from extremely cold in northern districts [[Ziarat]], Quetta, Kalat, Muslim Baagh and Khanozai, where temperatures can drop to {{convert|-20|C|F}}, to milder conditions closer to the Makran coast. Winters are mild on the plains, with temperatures never falling below freezing point. Summers are hot and dry, especially in the arid zones of Chagai and Kharan districts. The plains are also very hot in summer, with temperatures reaching {{convert|50|C|F}}. The record highest temperature, {{convert|53|C|F}}, was recorded in Sibi on 26 May 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pakmet.com.pk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902112830/http://www.pakmet.com.pk/latest%20news/Latest%20News.html |url-status=dead |title=Pakmet.com.pk - Pakistan's Biggest Property Website|archive-date=2 September 2010|website=PakMet}}</ref> exceeding the previous record, {{convert|52|C|F}}. Other hot areas include [[Turbat]] and [[Dalbandin]]. The desert climate is characterised by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally, strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable.
 
 
==Education==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
 
The literacy rate of the province in 2017 was 43.6%, an increase from 24.8% in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://e.thenews.com.pk/|title=TheNews Epaper- e.thenews.com.pk|website=e.thenews.com.pk}}</ref>
 
===Medical colleges===
 
* [[Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences]]
* [[Makran Medical College]]
 
===Engineering universities===
 
* [[Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology]], [[Khuzdar]]
* [[Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences]], [[Quetta]]
 
===General universities===
 
* [[University of Balochistan]], [[Quetta]]
* [[Al-Hamd Islamic University]], Quetta
* [[Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University]], Quetta
* [[Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences]], [[Lasbela District|Lasbela]]
* [[University of Turbat]], [[Turbat]]
* [[University of Loralai]], [[Loralai]]
 
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Balochistan, Pakistan}}
The economy of Balochistan is largely based upon the production of natural gas, coal and other minerals.<ref name="Ethnic Subnationalist Insurgencies in South Asia: Identities, Interests and Challenges to State Authority">{{cite book|last1=Chima|first1=Jugdep S.|title=Ethnic Subnationalist Insurgencies in South Asia: Identities, Interests and Challenges to State Authority|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1138839922|page=126|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x8sqBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA126|access-date=23 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320230731/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=x8sqBwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA126|archive-date=20 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
Balochistan has been called a "neglected province where a majority of population lacks amenities".<ref name=dawn-22-3-12>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/704521/balochistan-ruling-elites-lifestyle-outshines-that-of-arab-royals|title=Baloch ruling elite's lifestyle outshines that of Arab royals|work=Dawn|date=22 March 2012|access-date=6 July 2015|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706230334/http://www.dawn.com/news/704521/balochistan-ruling-elites-lifestyle-outshines-that-of-arab-royals|archive-date=6 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=kupecz/> Since the mid-1970s the province's share of Pakistan's GDP has dropped from 4.9 to 3.7%,<ref>Jetly, Rajsree. "Resurgence of the Baluch Movement in Pakistan: Emerging Perspectives and Challenges," in Jetly, Rajshree. ed. ''Pakistan in Regional and Global Politics'' (New York: Routledge, 2009): 215.</ref> and as of 2007 it had the highest poverty rate and infant and maternal mortality rate, and the lowest literacy rate in the country,<ref>Baloch, Sanaullah. "The Baloch Conflict: Towards a Lasting Peace," ''Pakistan Security Research Unit'', No. 7 (March 2007): 5–6.</ref> factors some allege have contributed to the insurgency.<ref name=kupecz>{{cite journal|last1=Kupecz|first1=Mickey|title=Pakistan's Baloch Insurgency: History, Conflict Drivers, and Regional Implications|journal=International Affairs Review|volume=20|issue=3|pages=96–7|url=http://www.iar-gwu.org/sites/default/files/articlepdfs/Pakistan%27s%20Baloch%20Insurgency.pdf|access-date=24 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701152435/http://www.iar-gwu.org/sites/default/files/articlepdfs/Pakistan%27s%20Baloch%20Insurgency.pdf|archive-date=1 July 2015}}</ref> However, in 7th NFC awards, Punjab province and Federal contributed to increase Baluchistan share more than its entitled population based share.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/856981/7th-nfc-award-signed-in-gwadar|title=7th NFC Award signed in Gwadar|work=dawn.com|date=31 December 2009|access-date=31 July 2015|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141136/http://www.dawn.com/news/856981/7th-nfc-award-signed-in-gwadar|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref> In Balochistan poverty is increasing. In 2001–2002 poverty incidences were at 48% and by 2005–2006 these were at 50.9%.<ref name="The Political Economy of Conflict in South Asia">{{cite book|last1=Webb|first1=Matthew|title=The Political Economy of Conflict in South Asia|date=2015|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1137397430|pages=64–65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srGYBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|access-date=22 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320230516/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=srGYBgAAQBAJ&lpg=PA64|archive-date=20 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to a report on Dawn, the rate of multidimensional poverty in Balochistan had risen to 71% by 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1294859|title=Poverty in Balochistan|date=8 November 2016}}</ref>
 
Though the province remains largely underdeveloped, several major development projects, including the construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of [[Gwadar]],<ref name="pakboi">{{cite web|url=http://www.pakboi.gov.pk/News_Event/Gawadar.html|title=Gawader|access-date=2006-11-19|work=Pakistan Board of Investment |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061002105003/http://www.pakboi.gov.pk/News_Event/Gawadar.html |archive-date = 2006-10-02}}</ref> are in progress in Balochistan. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China and the Central Asian republics. The [[Mirani Dam]] on the [[Dasht River]], {{convert|50|km}} west of Turbat in the [[Makran Division]], is being built to provide water to expand agricultural land use by {{convert|35000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} where it would otherwise be unsustainable.<ref name="mirani">{{cite web|url=http://www.nespak.com.pk/services/viewpic.asp?sector=2&id=4|title=Mirani Dam Project|access-date=19 November 2006|work=National Engineering Services Pakistan|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206152834/http://www.nespak.com.pk/services/viewpic.asp?sector=2&id=4|archive-date=6 February 2006}}</ref> In the district Lasbela, there is an oil refinery owned by Byco International Incorporated (BII), which is capable of processing 120,000 barrels of oil per day. A power station is located adjacent to the refinery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/731335/a-matter-of-weeks-byco-ready-to-utilise-its-hub-refinery/|title=A matter of weeks: Byco ready to utilise its Hub refinery|date=4 July 2014|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213014601/http://tribune.com.pk/story/731335/a-matter-of-weeks-byco-ready-to-utilise-its-hub-refinery/|archive-date=13 December 2014}}</ref> Several cement plants and a marble factory are also located there.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cemnet.com/News/story/153731/attock-cement-first-half-profit-declines-pakistan.html|title=Attock Cement first-half profit declines, Pakistan|author=International Cement Review|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230090114/http://www.cemnet.com/News/story/153731/attock-cement-first-half-profit-declines-pakistan.html|archive-date=30 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaj.tv/2007/08/international-conference-on-marble-industry-held-at-expo-centre/|title=International Conference on Marble Industry held at Expo Centre – AAJ News|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230100308/http://www.aaj.tv/2007/08/international-conference-on-marble-industry-held-at-expo-centre/|archive-date=30 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/8023/southern-cement-companies-win-freight-subsidy/|title=Southern cement companies win freight subsidy|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230090212/http://tribune.com.pk/story/8023/southern-cement-companies-win-freight-subsidy/|archive-date=30 December 2014}}</ref> One of the world's largest [[ship breaking]] yards is located on the coast.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/668410/ship-breaking-at-gadani|title=Ship-breaking at Gadani|date=23 October 2011|access-date=30 December 2014|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230100113/http://www.dawn.com/news/668410/ship-breaking-at-gadani|archive-date=30 December 2014}}</ref>
 
===Natural resource extraction===
Balochistan's share of Pakistan's national income has historically ranged between 3.7% to 4.9%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://urdukhabrain.pk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/REGIONAL-ACCOUNTS-OF-PAKISTAN-METHODOLOGY-AND-ESTIMATES-1973-2000.pdf|title=Provincial Accounts of Pakistan: Methodology and Estimates 1973–2000|access-date=1 January 2018|archive-date=2 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102012825/https://urdukhabrain.pk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/REGIONAL-ACCOUNTS-OF-PAKISTAN-METHODOLOGY-AND-ESTIMATES-1973-2000.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has grown in size by 2.7 times.<ref>[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf Siterresources.worldbank.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501074227/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf |date=1 May 2011 }}</ref> Outside Quetta, the resource extraction infrastructure of the province is gradually developing but still lags far behind other parts of Pakistan.
 
The agreements for royalty rights and ownership of mineral rights were reached during a period of unprecedented natural disasters, economic, social, political, and cultural unrest in Pakistan. The negotiations were widely considered to be insufficiently transparent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=1771&Cat=13&dt=11/3/2010 |title=$260 billion gold mines going for a song, behind closed doors |publisher=Thenews.com.pk |access-date=2012-08-14 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113120248/http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=1771&Cat=13&dt=11%2F3%2F2010 |archive-date=13 January 2012}}</ref>
 
==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Balochistan}}
 
==Tourism==
{{Multiple issues|section=yes|
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2020}}
{{Expand section|date=June 2020}}
{{Update section|date=June 2020}}
}}
{{Main|Tourism in Balochistan, Pakistan}}
 
Balochistan has much tourist potential, though the province has seen little of it. There are many [[tourism]]-worthy sites and places within the province. Tourism in Balochistan sharply declined after the [[September 11 attacks|9/11 terror attacks]] due to [[terrorism]]. However, recently, tourism is growing in Balochistan and fights against terrorists have proved successful. The [[China–Pakistan Economic Corridor|China-Pakistan Economic Corridor]] ([[CPEC]]) also aims to revive the growing tourism industry by improving road networks which would generate jobs and income for the [[Baloch people]] as well as help [[Pakistan]] in improving its [[Gross domestic product|GDP]].
 
[[Balochistan Liberation Army]], an organization listed as a terrorist organization by three countries,<ref>{{cite web|title=List of banned organisations in Pakistan|date=24 October 2012|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/456294/list-of-banned-organisations-in-pakistan/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026232240/http://tribune.com.pk/story/456294/list-of-banned-organisations-in-pakistan/|archive-date=26 October 2012|access-date=14 October 2014|publisher=Tribune.com.pk}}</ref><ref name="Home Office">{{cite book|last1=Office|first1=Home|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/538297/20160715-Proscription-website-update.pdf|title=PROSCRIBED TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS|date=15 July 2016|publisher=Home Office|page=9|access-date=16 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026110457/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/538297/20160715-Proscription-website-update.pdf|archive-date=26 October 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="USA2">{{cite web|date=2 July 2019|title=US declares BLA as terrorist outfit|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2004785/1-us-declares-bla-terrorist-outfit/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708035209/https://tribune.com.pk/story/2004785/1-us-declares-bla-terrorist-outfit/|archive-date=8 July 2019|access-date=2 July 2019|work=Express Tribune}}</ref> is active in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/gunmen-attack-hotel-pakistan-port-city-gwadar-190511134034253.html|title=Gunmen attack hotel in Pakistan's Gwadar, kill five people|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=27 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527071325/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/gunmen-attack-hotel-pakistan-port-city-gwadar-190511134034253.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48238759|title=Pakistan hotel attack gunmen shot dead|date=12 May 2019|access-date=3 July 2019|language=en-GB|archive-date=12 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512084750/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48238759|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
===Places of interest===
 
Following is a list of a few tourist attractions and places of interest in Balochistan:
 
# [[Hazarganji-Chiltan National Park|Hazarganji Chiltan National Park]], near Quetta, Balochistan.
# [[Balochistan Sphinx|The Sphinx of Balochistan]].
# [[The princess of hope, Balochistan]]
# [[Pir Ghaib Waterfall]], Balochistan
# [[Astola Island]]
# [[Bolan Pass]]
# [[Makran Coastal Highway]]
# [[Gwadar]]
# [[Hanna Lake]]
# [[Hingol National Park]]
# [[Jiwani Coastal Wetland]]
# [[Khuzdar]]
# [[Kund Malir]]
# [[Quetta]]
# [[Mehrgarh]]
# [[Moola Chotok]]
# [[Urak Valley]]
# [[Ziarat]]
# [[Ziarat Juniper Forest]]
# [[Hinglaj Mata|Hinglaj Mata Temples]]
# [[Quaid-e-Azam Residency]]
# [[Zhob]]
 
==Government and politics==
{{Main|Government of Balochistan, Pakistan|List of districts in Balochistan, Pakistan|List of cities in Balochistan}}
In common with the other provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan has a parliamentary form of government. The ceremonial head of the province is the [[Governor of Balochistan (Pakistan)|Governor]], who is appointed by the [[President of Pakistan]] on the advice of the provincial [[Chief Minister of Balochistan|Chief Minister]]. The Chief Minister, the province's chief executive, is normally the leader of the largest political party or alliance of parties in the provincial assembly.
 
[[File:Governor's House, Quetta, side view.jpg|thumb|Balochistan Governor House Quetta]]
 
The [[unicameral]] [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan]] comprises 65 seats of which 11 are reserved for women and 3 reserved for non-Muslims. The judicial branch of government is carried out by the [[Balochistan High Court]], which is based in Quetta and headed by a Chief Justice.
 
Besides dominant Pakistan-wide political parties (such as the [[Pakistan Muslim League (N)]] and the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]]), Balochistan nationalist parties (such as the [[National Party (Pakistan)|National Party]] and the [[Balochistan National Party (Mengal)]]) have been prominent in the province.<ref name="Hussain-4-25-13"/>
 
=== Administrative divisions ===
[[File:Balochistan Districts.svg|thumb|'''Note:''' In this map, Lehri is shown within Sibi District on #27. Sohbatpur is shown within Jafarabad District on #8.]]
 
For administrative purposes, the province is divided into seven divisions – [[Kalat Division|Kalat]], [[Makran Division|Makran]], [[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]], [[Quetta Division|Quetta]], [[Sibi Division|Sibi]], [[Zhob Division|Zhob]] and [[Rakhshan Division|Rakhshan]]. This divisional level was abolished in 2000, but restored after the 2008 election. Each division is under an appointed commissioner. The seven divisions are further subdivided into 33 districts:<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=49 |title = Districts |publisher = Government of Balochistan |access-date = 13 August 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100807000609/http://www.balochistan.gov.pk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=49 |archive-date= 7 August 2010 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1440719|title=New districts|website=DAWN|date=23 October 2018|access-date=2 February 2019}}</ref>
 
As of June 2021, there are eight divisions. The eighth division, [[Loralai Division]] was created by bifurcating Zhob Division.<ref name=":99">{{Cite web|last=Correspondent|first=The Newspaper's Staff|date=2021-06-30|title=New division, two districts created in Balochistan|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1632216|access-date=2021-06-30|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sr. no.
! District
! Headquarters
! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Population<br />(2017)<ref>{{Cite web|title=District Wise Results / Tables (Census - 2017)|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/district-wise-results-tables-census-2017|url-status=live|publisher=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912063510/https://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/district-wise-results-tables-census-2017|archive-date=12 September 2021|access-date=14 September 2021}}</ref>
! Density<br />(people/km<sup>2</sup>)
! Division
|-
|1
|[[Awaran District|Awaran]]
|[[Awaran]]
|align="right"|29,510
|align="right"|121,821
|align="right"|4
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|2
||[[Barkhan District|Barkhan]]
|[[Barkhan]]
|align="right"|3,514
|align="right"|171,025
|align="right"|49
|[[Loralai Division|Loralai]]
|-
|3
|[[Kachhi District|Kachhi]] (Bolan)
|[[Dhadar]]
|align="right"|4,374
|align="right"|236,473
|align="right"|54
|[[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]]
|-
|4
|[[Chagai District|Chagai]]
|[[Chagai, Pakistan|Chagai]]
|align="right"|44,748<ref>{{cite news |title = Country escapes major earthquake damage |url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\story_20-1-2011_pg1_8 |access-date = 16 February 2014 |newspaper = Daily Times |date = 20 January 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131211165305/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C01%5C20%5Cstory_20-1-2011_pg1_8 |archive-date = 11 December 2013 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
|align="right"|226,517
|align="right"|5
|[[Rakhshan Division|Rakhshan]]
|-
|5
|[[Dera Bugti District|Dera Bugti]]
|[[Dera Bugti]]
|align="right"|10,160
|align="right"|313,110
|align="right"|31
|[[Sibi Division|Sibi]]
|-
|6
|[[Gwadar District|Gwadar]]
|[[Gwadar]]
|align="right"|12,637
|align="right"|262,253
|align="right"|15
|[[Makran Division|Makran]]
|-
|7
|[[Harnai District|Harnai]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.dawn.com/news/263890/harnai-is-new-district-of-balochistan |title = Harnai is new district of Balochistan |website = Dawn.Com |date = 31 August 2007 |access-date = 16 February 2014 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131224100329/http://www.dawn.com/news/263890/harnai-is-new-district-of-balochistan |archive-date = 24 December 2013}}</ref>
|[[Harnai]]
|align="right"|2,492
|align="right"|97,052
|align="right"|39
|[[Sibi Division|Sibi]]
|-
|8
|[[Jafarabad District|Jafarabad]]
|[[Dera Allahyar]]
|align="right"|1,643
|align="right"|513,972
|align="right"|313
|[[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]]
|-
|9
|[[Jhal Magsi District|Jhal Magsi]]
|[[Jhal Magsi]]
|align="right"|3,615
|align="right"|148,900
|align="right"|41
|[[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]]
|-
|10
|[[Kalat District|Kalat]]
|[[Kalat, Pakistan|Kalat]]
|align="right"|7,654
|align="right"|211,201
|align="right"|28
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|11
|[[Kech District|Kech]] (Turbat)
|[[Turbat, Balochistan|Turbat]]
|align="right"|22,539
|align="right"|907,182
|align="right"|40
|[[Makran Division|Makran]]
|-
|12
|[[Kharan District|Kharan]]
|[[Kharan, Pakistan|Kharan]]
|align="right"|14,958
|align="right"|162,766
|align="right"|11
|[[Rakhshan Division|Rakhshan]]
|-
|13
|[[Kohlu District|Kohlu]]
|[[Kohlu]]
|align="right"|7,610
|align="right"|213,933
|align="right"|28
|[[Sibi Division|Sibi]]
|-
|14
|[[Khuzdar District|Khuzdar]]
|[[Khuzdar]]
|align="right"|35,380
|align="right"|798,896
|align="right"|23
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|15
|[[Killa Abdullah District|Killa Abdullah]]
|[[Killa Abdullah]]
|align="right"|3,553
|align="right"|323,823
|align="right"|91
|[[Quetta Division|Quetta]]
|-
|16
|[[Killa Saifullah District|Killa Saifullah]]
|[[Killa Saifullah]]
|align="right"|6,831
|align="right"|342,932
|align="right"|50
|[[Zhob Division|Zhob]]
|-
|17
|[[Lasbela District|Lasbela]]
|[[Uthal, Pakistan|Uthal]]
|align="right"|15,153
|align="right"|576,271
|align="right"|38
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|18
|[[Loralai District|Loralai]]
|[[Loralai]]
|align="right"|3,785
|align="right"|244,446
|align="right"|65
|[[Loralai Division|Loralai]]
|-
|19
|[[Mastung District|Mastung]]
|[[Mastung, Pakistan|Mastung]]
|align="right"|3,308
|align="right"|265,676
|align="right"|80
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|20
|[[Musakhel District, Pakistan|Musakhel]]
|[[Musa Khel Bazar]]
|align="right"|5,728
|align="right"|167,243
|align="right"|29
|[[Loralai Division|Loralai]]
|-
|21
|[[Nasirabad District|Nasirabad]]
|[[Naseerabad (Balochistan)|Dera Murad Jamali]]
|align="right"|3,387
|align="right"|487,847
|align="right"|144
|[[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]]
|-
|22
|[[Nushki District|Nushki]]<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.arcpakistan.org/html/cyclone/AssessmentReport.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725013424/http://www.arcpakistan.org/html/cyclone/AssessmentReport.pdf |url-status = dead |archive-date = 2011-07-25 |title = Kharan and Noshki District |publisher = American Refugee Committee |date = July 2007 |access-date= 16 February 2014 }}</ref>
|[[Nushki]]
|align="right"|5,797
|align="right"|178,947
|align="right"|31
|[[Rakhshan Division|Rakhshan]]
|-
|23
|[[Panjgur District|Panjgur]]
|[[Panjgur]]
|align="right"|16,891
|align="right"|315,353
|align="right"|19
|[[Makran Division|Makran]]
|-
|24
|[[Pishin District|Pishin]]
|[[Pishin, Pakistan|Pishin]]
|align="right"|6,218
|align="right"|736,903
|align="right"|119
|[[Quetta Division|Quetta]]
|-
|25
|[[Quetta District|Quetta]]
|[[Quetta]]
|align="right"|3,447
|align="right"|2,269,473
|align="right"|658
|[[Quetta Division|Quetta]]
|-
|26
||[[Sherani District|Sherani]]
|Sherani
|align="right"|4,310
|align="right"|152,952
|align="right"|35
|[[Zhob Division|Zhob]]
|-
|27
|[[Sibi District|Sibi]]
|[[Sibi]]
|align="right"|8,429
|align="right"|253,210
|align="right"|30
|[[Sibi Division|Sibi]]
|-
|28
|[[Washuk District|Washuk]]
|[[Washuk]]
|align="right"|29,510
|align="right"|176,206
|align="right"|4.0
|[[Rakhshan Division|Rakhshan]]
|-
|29
|[[Zhob District|Zhob]]
|[[Zhob]]
|align="right"|15,987
|align="right"|310,354
|align="right"|19
|[[Zhob Division|Zhob]]
|-
|30
|[[Ziarat District|Ziarat]]
|[[Ziarat]]
|align="right"|3,301
|align="right"|160,095
|align="right"|49
|[[Sibi Division|Sibi]]
|-
|32
|[[Sohbatpur District|Sohbatpur]]
|[[Sohbatpur]]
| align="right" |800
| align="right" |200,426
| align="right" |250
|[[Nasirabad Division|Nasirabad]]
|-
|33
|[[Shaheed Sikandarabad District|Shaheed Sikandarabad]]
|[[Surab, Pakistan|Surab]]
| align="right" |762
| align="right" |200,857
| align="right" |263
|[[Kalat Division|Kalat]]
|-
|34
|[[Duki District|Duki]]
|[[Duki (town)|Duki]]
| align="right" |4,233
| align="right" |152,977
| align="right" |36
|[[Loralai Division|Loralai]]
|-
|35
|[[Chaman District|Chaman]]
|[[Chaman]]
| align="right" |1,341
| align="right" |434,561
| align="right" |324
|[[Quetta Division|Quetta]]
|}
 
{{clear}}
 
==Demographics==
 
{| class="toccolours" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;"
|-
! colspan="3" style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"|Historical populations
|-
!align="right"|Census||Population||Urban
|-
|colspan=3|
----
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1951||align="right"|1,167,167||12.38%
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1961||align="right"|1,353,484||16.87%
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1972||align="right"|2,428,678||16.45%
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1981||align="right"|4,332,376||15.62%
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1998||align="right"|6,565,885||23.89%
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2017||align="right"|12,344,408||27.55%
|}
Balochistan's population density is low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. In March 2012, preliminary census figures showed that the population of Balochistan had reached 13,162,222, not including the districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur, a 139.3% increase from 5,501,164 in 1998, representing 6.85% of Pakistan's total population. This was the largest increase in population by any province of Pakistan during that time period.<ref name="POP"/><ref name=census1998>{{cite web|url=http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/fbs/publications/yearbook2008/Population/16-5.pdf |title=Population, Area and Density by Region/Province |year=1998 |publisher=Federal Bureau of Statistics, Government of Pakistan |access-date=20 July 2009 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118145343/http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/fbs/publications/yearbook2008/Population/16-5.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2008 }}</ref><ref name="2012Census1">{{cite web |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-13514-Population-shoots-up-by-47-percent-since-1998 |title=Population shoots up by 47 percent since 1998 |publisher=Thenews.com.pk |date=29 March 2012 |access-date=14 August 2012 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701193658/http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-13514-Population-shoots-up-by-47-percent-since-1998 |archive-date=1 July 2012}}</ref> Official estimates of Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45 million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005.<ref name=worldbankpop>[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf Pakistan Balochistan Economic Report: From Periphery to Core (In Two Volumes) – Volume II: Full Report.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501074227/http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1257441952102/balochistaneconomicreportvol2.pdf |date=1 May 2011 }} The World Bank. May 2008. "The Balochistan population totalled 4.5 million in 1981/82 and 7.8 million in 2004/05..." "NIPS estimates that Balochistan's population growth will slow down to 1.3 percent by 2025..."</ref> The 2017 Census enumerated a population of 12,344,408.
 
===Languages and ethnicities ===
{{Pie chart
|caption = Languages of Balochistan (2017)<ref name="2017language">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447|access-date=2 April 2020|title=CCI defers approval of census results until elections}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Balochi language|Balochi]] |value1 = 35.49 |color1 = limegreen
|label2 = [[Pashto]] |value2 = 35.34 |color2 = olive
|label3 = [[Brahui language|Brahui]] |value3 = 17.12 |color3 = hotpink
|label4 = [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] |value4 = 4.56 |color4 = aqua
|label5 = [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] |value5 = 2.65 |color5 = steelblue
|label6 = [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] |value6 = 1.13 |color6 = cornflowerblue
|label7 = Others |value7 =3.71 |color7 = grey
|thumb=left}}
According to the preliminary results of the 2017 census, the languages with the most native speakers in the province are [[Balochi language|Balochi]], spoken by 35.49% of the population, and [[Pashto]], whose share at 35.34% is a marked increase on the 1998 census, when it stood at 29.6%. The Pasthuns mainly inhabit the north of Balochistan and form the majority in [[Quetta]]. Baloch on the other hand are found throughout Balochistan, but most highly concentrated in the west and south of the province. [[Brahui language|Brahui]], formerly counted as Balochi in the census, is spoken by 17.12% mainly in the central part of Balochistan. Other languages include [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] ({{sigfig|4.56|2}}%), [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] ({{sigfig|2.65|2}}%), [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] ({{sigfig|1.13|2}}%), and [[Urdu]] ({{sigfig|0.81|2}}%).<ref name=yb2008>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/yearbook2011/Population/16-20.pdf |title=Percentage Distribution of Households by Language Usually Spoken and Region/Province, 1998 Census |work=Pakistan Statistical Year Book 2008 |publisher=Federal Bureau of Statistics – Government of Pakistan |access-date=2 April 2020 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205075850/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/yearbook2011/Population/16-20.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="2017language"/>
 
Balochi forms the majority in 21 districts and Pashto forms majority in 9 districts of Balochistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1356899|title=Number of Balochi-speaking people in Balochistan falls |access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref> Brahui has majority in 4 districts. In the [[Lasbela District]], a large minority of the population speaks [[Lasi dialect|Lasi]],<ref name=brit>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/50834/Balochistan |title=Balochistān |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2009 |access-date=8 August 2021 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225164720/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/50834/Balochistan |archive-date=25 December 2009}}</ref> which is a dialect of [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]].<ref>Cf. {{Cite LSI|8|1|p=158}} and {{Cite book| last = Scholz| first = Fred| title = Nomadism & colonialism : a hundred years of Baluchistan, 1872-1972| date = 2002| orig-year = 1974| location = Karachi ; Oxford ; New York|publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-579638-4 |p=29}}</ref>
 
According to the Ethnologue, households speaking [[Balochi language|Balochi]], whose primary dialect is Makrani constitutes 13%, Rukhshani 10%, Sulemani 7%, and Khetrani 3% of the population. Other languages spoken are Lasi, Urdu, Punjabi, Hazargi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Dehvari, Dari, Tajik, Hindko, Uzbek, and Hindki.<ref name=yb2008/>
 
The 2005 census concerning [[Afghans in Pakistan]] showed that a total of 769,268<ref>Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), Afghans in Quetta. Settlements, Livelihoods, Support Networks and Cross-Border Linkages, January 2006, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47c3f3c412.html [accessed 7 January 2013]</ref> Afghan refugees were temporarily staying in Balochistan. However, there are probably fewer Afghans living in Balochistan today as many refugees repatriated in 2013. As of 2015, there are only 327,778 registered Afghan refugees according to the UNHCR.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/822571/law-and-order-issues-afghan-refugees-do-not-want-to-go-back-home/|title=Law and order issues: Afghan refugees 'do not want to go back home'|work=The Express Tribune|date=16 January 2015|access-date=31 July 2015|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802232928/http://tribune.com.pk/story/822571/law-and-order-issues-afghan-refugees-do-not-want-to-go-back-home/|archive-date=2 August 2015}}</ref>
 
===Religion===
{{See also|Hinduism in Balochistan}}
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Religion in Balochistan, Pakistan<ref name="sailent feature">{{cite web|title=SALIENT FEATURES OF FINAL RESULTS CENSUS-2017|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/sailent_feature_%20census_2017.pdf|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Islam]]
|value1 = 99.28
|color1 = Green
|label2 = [[Hinduism]]
|value2 = 0.4
|color2 = Orange
|label3 = [[Christianity]]
|value3 = 0.27
|color3 = Blue
|label4 = [[Ahmadi]]
|value4 = 0.02
|color4 = Gray
|label5 = Others
|value5 = 0.03
|color5 = Brown
}}
 
According to the 2017 Census, nearly all of the population of Balochistan were [[Muslim]]s. There were also Hindu and Christian minorities in the province. The [[Hinduism in Pakistan|Hindu]] population in the province was approximately 49,133 (including the Scheduled Castes).<ref name=Census2017>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files//population_census/census_2017_tables/pakistan/Table09n.pdf|title=Population by Religion|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="Census"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Population by Religion |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/tables/POPULATION%20BY%20RELIGION.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=[[Pakistan Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref> The [[Hinglaj Mata mandir|Shri Hinglaj Mata mandir]] which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan is situated in Balochistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/01/muslim-majority-country-hindu-goddess-lives-pakistan-pictures/|title=In a Muslim-majority country, a Hindu goddess lives on|date=10 January 2019|website=Culture & History|access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref> There was also a [[Christianity in Pakistan|Christian]] minority of 26,462 individuals in the province.<ref name="Census">{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/yearbook2011/Population/16-16.pdf|title=Population Distribution by Religion, 1998 Census|website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics|access-date=26 December 2016|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226023307/http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/yearbook2011/Population/16-16.pdf|archive-date=26 December 2016}}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ ''Religion in Balochistan''
|-
! Religion
! Population (1941)<ref name="baluchistan1941">{{cite web|url=https://www.jstor.org/site/south-asia-open-archives/saoa/censusofindia1941-28216851/|title=CENSUS OF INDIA, 1941 VOLUME XIV BALUCHISTAN|access-date=14 October 2021}}</ref>{{rp|18}}
! Percentage (1941)
! Population (2017)<ref name="sailent feature"/>
! Percentage (2017)
|-
| [[Islam]] [[File:Star and Crescent.svg|15px]]
| 785,181
|{{Percentage | 785181 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 12,255,528
|{{Percentage | 12255528 | 12344408 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Hinduism]] [[File:Om.svg|15px]]
| 54,394
|{{Percentage | 54394 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 49,378
|{{Percentage | 49378 | 12344408 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Sikhism]] [[File:Khanda.svg|15px]]
| 12,044
|{{Percentage | 12044 | 857835 | 2 }}
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| [[Christianity]] [[File:Christian cross.svg|15px]]
| 6,056
|{{Percentage | 6056 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 33,330
|{{Percentage | 33330 | 12344408 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Ahmadi]]
| N/A
| N/A
| 2,469
|{{Percentage | 2469 | 12344408 | 2 }}
|-
| Others
| 160
|{{Percentage | 160 | 857835 | 2 }}
| 3,703
|{{Percentage | 3703 | 12344408 | 2 }}
|-
| '''Total Population'''
| '''857,835'''
| '''{{Percentage | 857835 | 857835 | 2 }}'''
|'''12,344,408 '''
|'''{{Percentage | 12344408 | 12344408 | 2 }}'''
|}
 
==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Asia|Pakistan}}
* [[Balochistan]] (geographic region)
* [[Balochistan, Afghanistan]]
* [[Balochistan, Iran]]
* [[Goth Gorshani]]
* [[List of cities in Balochistan, Pakistan by population]]
* [[List of cultural heritage sites in Balochistan, Pakistan]]
* [[Insurgency in Balochistan]]
* [[Randghar China]]
{{clear}}
 
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
 
==Further reading==
*{{cite book| author=Johnson, E.A.| title=Lithofacies, depositional environments, and regional stratigraphy of the lower Eocene Ghazij Formation, Balochistan, Pakistan| year=1999| series=U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1599| publisher=U.S. Geological Survey| location=Washington, D.C.}}
*[[:fr:Philippe_Fabry|Philippe Fabry]], ''Balouchistan, le désert insoumis'', Paris, Nathan Image, 1991, 136 p., {{ISBN|2-09-240036-3}}
 
== External links ==
{{commons category|Balochistan (Pakistan)}}
{{Sister project links|voy=Balochistan, Pakistan}}
* {{Official website|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk}}
* [http://www.sibidistrict.com/ Sibi District] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111184752/http://www.sibidistrict.com/ |date=11 January 2019 }} [http://www.sibidistrict.com/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111184752/http://www.sibidistrict.com/ |date=11 January 2019 }}
* Guide to [https://web.archive.org/web/20130121095120/http://www.dmoz.pk/Provinces/Balochistan/ Balochistan]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150614012814/http://balochistanarchives.gob.pk/ Balochistan Archives- Preserving our Past]
* {{Curlie|Regional/Asia/Pakistan/Provinces/Baluchistan|Balochistan}}
 
{{Balochistan, Pakistan topics}}
{{Administrative units of Pakistan}}
{{Districts of Balochistan (Pakistan)}}
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:Balochistan, Pakistan| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Pakistan]]
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