Balochistan is a historical and arid geographical region in West and South Asia, not a single act or institution, which is primarily populated by the ethnic Baloch people. The region is currently split among three countries: Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. The largest portion is the province of Balochistan in Pakistan, which is the country's largest province by land area, constituting 44% of its total landmass.
The region has ancient roots, with the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh dating back to around 7000 BCE. The Khanate of Kalat was a unified polity that emerged in 1666 and was later brought under the control of the British Indian Empire in the 1870s. After the Partition of British India in 1947, the princely state of Kalat initially declared independence but was annexed by Pakistan in March 1948. The modern Pakistani province of Balochistan was established in 1970.
The province operates with a parliamentary form of government, featuring a unicameral Provincial Assembly of 65 seats. The core mechanism of the ongoing Balochistan conflict—a separatist movement with multiple phases since 1948—is the local population's demand for greater autonomy and control over the region's vast natural resources, such as natural gas fields, coal, and gold.
Balochistan connects to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as the deep-sea port of Gwadar on its coast is a key pillar of the project. The conflict has seen a recent phase beginning in the early 2000s, which intensified after the killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in 2006. An informed reader should also know that the Brahui language, spoken by about 2 million people in the region, is a Dravidian language, pointing to a historical linguistic link with South India.