Balochistan, Kalat, and Jinnah’s Dream of a United Pakistan

Balochistan, Kalat, and Jinnah’s Dream of a United Pakistan

Not so many parts of the complicated Pakistani history have much symbolic significance as Balochistan does. Previously regarded as a far-off colonial outpost, it became a province after independence, not by coercion, but by mutual ideal conventional partnership. A new paper by the Islamabad Institute of Conflict Resolution (IICR) by author Sabah Aslam, reminds us that the territory of Balochistan was not an accidental border placement for Pakistan, but it was a willful decision to belong there.

Balochistan from neglect to nationhood

Moving forward, Balochistan was used as a buffer zone during the British rule, practically non-existent, economically ignored, and also marginalized. People of the region were frequently depicted in the colonial light, and they were viewed as being peripheral to the political awakening of the subcontinent. However, as the IICR study indicates, the tide started turning when Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah introduced a new aspect to the table. It was that

Balochistan was not a barren frontier, but a cornerstone for a united Pakistan.

Besides, Jinnah had been engaged with Balochistan way back in the year 1947. He sought constitutional equality for the province as early as the 1920s, and insisted that its inhabitants had the right to equal treatment with the people of Punjab, Bengal, or any other constituency in British India. This was not just rhetoric, but it was because he believed that national unity could not be based only on the pillars of inclusion and fairness. Jinnah was confronting the colonial intellectuality of exclusion, directly through his empathy, legal clarity, and through admiration for provincial identities.

A Decision of Destiny

Moreover, the most notable conclusion of the IICR study is the voluntary decision of Balochistan to join Pakistan. A peaceful resolution that had no coercion or conditions, was unanimously adopted by both the Shahi Jirga and the Quetta Municipality on 29 June 1947. It was not long before that the princely states of Kharan, Lasbela and Makran also expressed the desire to become a part of the new federation.

The signing of the Instrument of Accession by the Khan of Kalat on 27 March 1948, was another finishing touch to the picture. At that time, Gwadar was still under Oman’s control, but through the negotiations of Feroze Khan Noon and Lady Waqar un Nisa Noon, Gwadar also became part of Pakistan a few years later. These achievements were not merely administrative affairs, but they were more of a trend about consensus, dialogue, and respecting each other, which characterized the initial stages of nation building in Pakistan.

Dispelling of Myths and Misrepresentations

Similarly, the IICR report strikes cautiously at history, and strives to rewrite this history. Besides, in the past, foreign powers through the use of propaganda, have attempted to make the integration of Balochistan appear forced or unauthorized. Yet the history of the world has always given it another version.

The leaders of the region as well as the people interacted closely regarding their own future and saw in the vision of Jinnah an assurance of cooperation and not control.

The same could be seen in the personal relationships of Jinnah with Baloch leaders. His personal relations with such leaders as Qazi Muhammad Isa and Khan of Kalat, were based on respect and common intentions. Also, when he referred to Pakistan, he did not envision a federation in which one province would dominate the rest, but a nation in which every region would contribute towards development, but all region will be equal.

Ziarat, The Sign of Faith and Belonging

Jinnah spent his last days at Balochistan. The Quaid might have spent them in Karachi where he had comfort and familiarity. Rather, he went to Ziarat, a quiet mountain town in Balochistan. His choice was very symbolic, and even poetic. It was an indication of a leader who wished to be near the land and people, who had supported his vision of a united Pakistan.

It is not only that the Residency at Ziarat reminds us of that emotional association, but it is a monument of heritage today. It is the faith that Jinnah placed on Balochistan, and the location of the province, and it is at the center of Pakistan’s identity.

The Modern Promise, Frontier to Future

Additionally, in the current times Balochistan is the new focal point of strategic and economic aspirations of Pakistan. Projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Gwadar Port development, have turned this province into a hub of regional connectivity and trade gateway. According to the IICR report, this development which has been uneven, is based on the same principle that Jinnah had dreamed of, which was about equality in an indivisible Pakistan.

However, development does not only mean infrastructure. It is all about making sure that the people of Balochistan own this development. To restore stability and prosperity in the province, and to rediscover the inclusive vision of Jinnah, the government has to listen to local voices, empower communities, and solve grievances through governance and not neglect. The wellbeing of Balochistan is not regional, but rather a national concern as highlighted in the report. Thus, a stronger Balochistan will lead to a stronger Pakistan.

Reclaiming the Spirit of Unity

So, the IICR study is not simply a historical recount, but it is thought provoking. This reminds the Pakistanis that their federation was not based on conquest, but was based on voluntary unity. It proposes to the contemporary policymakers to demonstrate those comprehensive ideals, which were used in the past to unite provinces under a single flag.

However, uniformity was not part of the dream of Jinnah, but it was one of consonance, and of allowing diversity within mutuality of destiny. The story of Balochistan as narrated by this study confirms the fact that Pakistan derives its strength from the virtue of this local pride and national purpose.

The story of Balochistan from being a colonial frontier to the building block of Pakistan is the culmination of Jinnah’s belief in unity via inclusion. Pakistan is still in the process of developing, but Jinnah’s example of interaction with Balochistan is still very vivid. The interaction was based on respect, justice, and collaboration. So, Pakistan has to follow the same footsteps in order to thrive on its pledge of forging unity in diversity.