Balochistan, a region of British India, was a mix of princely states and tribal territories, each with varying degrees of autonomy. The Mastung Treaty of 1854 and the Kalat Treaty of 1875. formalized the relationship between Kalat and the British Empire, stripping the Khan of Kalat of his sovereignty. The accession to Pakistan was not a result of coercion or force, but a culmination of discussions and agreements between the Khan of Kalat and Pakistani leadership.

The narrative that Balochistan was an independent state, forcibly annexed by Pakistan is a dangerous and misleading story fed to Baloch youth. This version of history that depicts Balochistan as a land yearning for freedom from an oppressive occupier, is often used as a rallying cry by Baloch sub-nationalists for separation from Pakistan. However, when we peel back the layers of historical revisionism and examine the facts dispassionately, a different story emerges—one that debunks the myth of an independent Balochistan and highlights the complex, yet consensual, process of its accession to Pakistan.

Before delving into the specifics of Balochistan’s accession to Pakistan, it remains essential to understand the geo-political makeup of the region before 1947. Contrary to the popularized narrative, there was no unified entity known as “Balochistan” before Pakistan’s creation. Instead, what we now recognize as Balochistan was a patchwork of princely states and tribal territories, each with varying degrees of autonomy under British suzerainty. The region comprised six distinct parts: the princely states of Kalat, Kharan, and Lasbela; the district of Makran; and the British-controlled Chief Commissioner’s Province of British India.

Additionally, Gwadar, a significant........

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