Did Balochistan want to join India? How did Jinnah force its ruler to sign accession to Pakistan?

The question of an independent, sovereign Balochistan hogged the headlines once again after the insurgents of the separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army hijacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express in the restive  province.

Balochistan, which has its references in Greek literature dating back to 560 BC and became a part of British India in 1870, was a group of four provinces -Kalat, Kharan, Las Bela, and Makaran at the time of partition of the country. 

Balochistan refuses to join Pakistan

Like all other Indian princely states of the times, these four states too have the liberty of joining either India or Pakistan. 

Three of them Kharan, Las Bela, and Makaran agreed to join Pakistan after Muslim League leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah offered them equal status and respect as all other provinces. 

However, Kalat refused to accept Jinnah's demand and decided to remain independent. 

The Khan of Kalat sought the help of Jinnah and appointed him legal advisor in 1946 to represent his case before the British Crown.

Four leaders meet on future of Balochistan 

Lord Mountbatten, Mir Ahmadyar Khan, the Khan of Kalat, Jawaharlal Nehru and, Jinnah sat together to decide the future of Kalat on August 4, 1947. 

The ruler once again emphasised keeping his state independent, and Jinnah backed him. 

However, the Muslim League leader insisted that Kharan and Las Bela should be merged with Kalat to form a complete Balochistan.

Kalat declares independence

Consequently, Kalat declared its independence on August 15, 1947. 

However, the British Empire said in a memorandum on September 12, 1947, that the small province of Kalat would not be able to fulfill international responsibilities. 

According to Taj Mohammad Breseeg's book "Baloch Nationalism: Its Origin and Development", Jinnah swung into action after this and forced Khan to join Pakistan. 

Khan rejected Jinnah's pressure and sought help from another princely state to keep its independence intact. 

Did Kalat want to join India?

When the ruler refused to join Pakistan, Jinnah sent the Pakistan Army to capture Balochistan on March 26, 1948. 

It has been said that the ruler of Kalat, Mir Ahmadyar Khan, wanted to accede to India, only to be rejected by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, who favoured a strong and friendly Pakistan. 

It has been reported in a section of the media that Home Secretary  VP Menon ion the All India Radio on March 27, 1948, "That the Khan of Kalat was pressing India to accept Kalat’s accession, but added that India would have nothing to do with it."

However, there is no evidence to support this theory. 

Kalat signs instrument of accession

Left with no alternative, the Khan of Kalat signed the instrument of accession to Pakistan on March 27, 1947. 

However, he wrote in his book, "Inside Baluchistan: A Political Autobiography of His Highness Baigi: Khan-e-Azam-XIII", 

"I confess, I knew I was exceeding the scope of my mandate . . . [but] had I not taken the immediate step of signing Kalat’s merger, the … British Agent to the Governor-General could have played havoc by leading Pakistan into a fratricide war against the Baluches”.

However, Mir Ahmadyar Khan's brother, Prince Abdul Karim, revolted against his brother and led the first armed insurgency against Pakistan in 1948. 

However, the rebellion was suppressed with iron hands soon.