By: Dr. Jumma Khan Marri

Balochistan and Baloch

"Balochistan" means the land of the Baloch. It is located on the south-eastern Iranian plateau between the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia. Balochistan is divided politically between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. 

The Anglo-Iranian border commission gave a large portion of south-western Balochistan to Iran in 1871 and to Afghanistan in 1895. The rest was part of British India, and as such was incorporated into the newly independent Pakistan after partition in 1947. Ignoring present-day political boundaries, Balochistan would cover approximately 225 000 square miles. It supports a population of about six million (1996).

It is an arid, harsh land with rugged terrain, ranging from steppe to desert, intersected by many mountain ranges. There are few permanent sources of water as rainfall is very low. Most rivers are seasonal, being fed by floodwater and the melted snow from the mountains.  ... Read more »