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75-537: The mission came in the wake of increasingly strained and difficult foreign relations between Pakistan and East Pakistan since the civil unrest had gripped East Pakistan as Awami League's demonstrations and demands for the provincial autonomy against Pakistan's central administration after the general elections held in 1970. Following the violent raids in Dhaka University by the East-Pakistani police supported by

150-607: A Legal Framework Order (LFO) which called for direct elections for a unicameral legislature. Many in the West feared the East wing's demand for countrywide provincial autonomy. The purpose of the LFO was to secure the future Constitution which would be written after the election so that it would include safeguards such as preserving Pakistan's territorial integrity and Islamic ideology. The integrated province of West Pakistan formed on 22 November 1954

225-557: A presidential system of government, replacing the parliamentary system of the 1956 constitution. The electoral system was made indirect , and the "basic democrats" were declared electoral college for the purpose of electing members of the National and Provincial Assemblies. Under the new system, presidential elections were held on 2 January 1965 which resulted in a victory for Ayub Khan. As years went by, political opposition against President Ayub Khan mounted. In East Pakistan , leader of

300-453: A province of Pakistan . Located in the southwestern region of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the least populated one . It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north-east, Punjab to the east and Sindh to the south-east; shares international borders with Iran to the west and Afghanistan to the north; and

375-481: A co-federation with Yahya Khan as president with Mujib being the Prime Minister of East while Bhutto being Prime Minister of Pakistan. Civil servants from Pakistan stationed in East would repatriated to Pakistan and the national assets would equally be divided between East and West Pakistan. The proposal was met with strong support from the international community and India fell in line though reluctant. The formula

450-563: A large minority of the population speaks Lasi and Siraiki , which are dialects of Sindhi . According to the Ethnologue, households speaking Balochi , whose primary dialect is Makrani constitutes 13%, Rukhshani 10%, Sulemani 7%, and Khetrani 3% of the population. Other languages spoken are Lasi, Urdu, Punjabi, Hazargi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Dehvari, Dari, Tajik, Hindko, Uzbek, and Hindki. The 2005 census concerning Afghans in Pakistan showed that

525-635: A large part of his army died in battle against a revolt in Kalat. In the 15th century, Mir Chakar Khan Rind became the first Sirdar of Afghan, Iranian and Pakistani Balochistan. He was a close aide of the Timurid ruler Humayun , and was succeeded by the Khanate of Kalat , which owed allegiance to the Mughal Empire . Later, Nader Shah won the allegiance of the rulers of eastern Balochistan. He ceded Kalhora , one of

600-437: A majority of population lacks amenities". Although the province is rich in natural resources capable of uplifting its economy, most of them have not been fully utilised for the welfare of the population and are yet to be explored or developed. Since the mid-1970s the province's contribution to Pakistan's GDP has dropped from 4.9 to 3.7%, and as of 2007 it had the highest poverty rate and infant and maternal mortality rate, and

675-717: A part of Pakistan. The province's Shahi Jirga (the grand council of tribal elders ) and the non-official members of the Quetta Municipality , according to the Pakistani narrative, agreed to join Pakistan unanimously on 29 June 1947; however, the Shahi Jirga was stripped of its members from the Kalat State prior to the vote. The then-president of the Baluchistan Muslim League, Qazi Muhammad Isa , informed Muhammad Ali Jinnah that "Shahi Jirga in no way represents

750-528: A report on Dawn, the rate of multidimensional poverty in Balochistan had risen to 71% by 2016. Several major development projects, including the construction of a new deep sea port at the strategically important town of Gwadar , are in progress in Balochistan. The port is projected to be the hub of an energy and trade corridor to and from China, Middle East and the Central Asian republics. The Mirani Dam on

825-461: A total of 769,268 Afghan refugees were temporarily staying in Balochistan. However, there are probably fewer Afghans living in Balochistan today as many refugees repatriated in 2013. As of 2015, there are only 327,778 registered Afghan refugees according to the UNHCR. According to the 2017 Census, nearly all of the population of Balochistan were Muslims . There were also Hindu and Christian minorities in

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900-661: Is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and north-west, Iran to the south-west, Punjab and Sindh , and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north-east. To the south lies the Arabian Sea . Balochistan is located on the south-eastern part of the Iranian plateau. It borders the geopolitical regions of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, Central Asia and South Asia. Balochistan lies at

975-631: Is bound by the Arabian Sea to the south. Balochistan is an extensive plateau of rough terrain divided into basins by ranges of sufficient heights and ruggedness. It has the world's largest deep sea port, the Port of Gwadar lying in the Arabian Sea. Although it makes up about 44% of the land area of Pakistan, only 5% of it is arable and it is noted for an extremely dry desert climate . Despite this, agriculture and livestock make up about 47% of Balochistan's economy. The name " Balochistan " means "the land of

1050-804: Is carried out by the Balochistan High Court , which is based in Quetta and headed by a Chief Justice. Besides dominant Pakistan-wide political parties (such as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf , Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party ), Balochistan nationalist parties (such as the National Party and the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) ) have been prominent in the province. For administrative purposes,

1125-420: Is largely based upon agriculture, livestock, fisheries, production of natural gas, coal and other minerals. Though agriculture and livestock play a dominant role in the provincial economy by contributing 47% of its GDP, it faced intense damages due to the 2022 Pakistan floods . The floods killed around 500,000 of Balochistan's livestock and damaged cultivation and agricultural output in 32 out of 35 districts of

1200-411: Is located adjacent to the refinery. Several cement plants and a marble factory are also located there. One of the world's largest ship breaking yards is located on the coast. Balochistan's share of Pakistan's national income has historically ranged between 3.7% to 4.9%. Since 1972, Balochistan's gross income has grown in size by 2.7 times. Outside Quetta, the resource extraction infrastructure of

1275-617: The Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan , to fix the Durand Line running from Chitral to Balochistan as the boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British-controlled areas. Two devastating earthquakes occurred in Balochistan during British colonial rule: the 1935 Quetta earthquake , which devastated Quetta , and the 1945 Balochistan earthquake with its epicentre in the Makran region. During

1350-456: The Baloch ". Largely underdeveloped, its economy is also dominated by natural resources, especially its natural gas fields . Aside from Quetta , the second-largest city of the province is Turbat in the south, while another area of major economic importance is the port city of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, an emerging future business hub. Balochistan occupies the very southeasternmost portion of

1425-542: The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement. Gwadar, a region of Balochistan, was a colony of Oman for more than a century, and in the 1960s Pakistan took over the land. Many people in this region are therefore Omani. Balochistan is situated in the southwest of Pakistan and covers an area of 347,190 square kilometres (134,050 sq mi). It is Pakistan's largest province by area, constituting 44% of Pakistan's total landmass. The province

1500-525: The Dasht River , 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Turbat in the Makran Division , is being built to provide water to expand agricultural land use by 35,000 km (14,000 sq mi) where it would otherwise be unsustainable. In the district Lasbela, there is an oil refinery owned by Byco International Incorporated (BII), which is capable of processing 120,000 barrels of oil per day. A power station

1575-525: The Iranian plateau , the setting for the earliest known farming settlements in the pre- Indus Valley civilisation era, the earliest of which was Mehrgarh , dated at 7000 BCE, within the province. Balochistan marked the westernmost extent of civilisation. Centuries before the arrival of Islam in the seventh century, parts of Balochistan were ruled by the Paratarajas , an Indo-Scythian dynasty. At certain times,

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1650-569: The Kushans also held political sway in parts of Balochistan. The Hindu Sewa Dynasty ruled parts of Balochistan, chiefly Kalat . The Sibi Division , which was carved out of Quetta Division and Kalat Division in 1974, derives its name from Rani Sewi, the queen of the Sewa dynasty. The remnants of the earliest people in Balochistan were the Brahui people , a Dravidian speaking people . The Brahuis retained

1725-804: The PML (Council) 119 and the PML (Qayyum) 133. All thirteen women's seats were uncontested. Vote Share of different parties in the election. Seat Share of different parties in the election. The government claimed a high level of public participation and a voter turnout of almost 63%. The total number of registered voters in the country was 56,941,500 of which 31,211,220 were from East Pakistan and 25,730,280 were from West Pakistan . List of members in East Bengal : List of members from Punjab , Sindh , North West Frontier Province , Federally Administered Tribal Areas , and Balochistan : The elected Assembly initially did not meet as President Yahya Khan and

1800-538: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1967. The socialist political party took up opposition to President Ayub Khan as well. Ayub Khan succumbed to political pressure on 26 March 1969 and handed power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan . President Yahya Khan imposed martial law and the 1962 Constitution was abrogated. On 31 March 1970, President Yahya Khan announced

1875-623: The Sindh territories of Sibi -Kachi, to the Khanate of Kalat . Ahmad Shah Durrani , founder of the Afghan Empire, also won the allegiance of that area's rulers, and many Baloch fought under him during the Third Battle of Panipat . Most of the area would eventually revert to local Baloch control after Afghan rule. In 1876, northern Baluchistan became one of the presidencies and provinces of British India in colonial India . During this time from

1950-562: The insurgency in Balochistan , says "that Balochistan's accession to Pakistan was, as against the officially projected narrative, not based upon consensus, nor was support for Pakistan overwhelming. What this manipulation indicates is that even before formally becoming a part of Pakistan, Balochistan had fallen a prey to political victimization." Initially aspiring for independence, the Khan of Kalat finally acceded to Pakistan on 27 March 1948 after period of negotiations with Pakistan. The signing of

2025-468: The religious slogans and initially campaigned on an Islamic platform , further promising to enforce Sharia laws in the country. Meanwhile, the founding party of Pakistan and the national conservative Muslim League , that although was divided into three factions ( QML , CML , MLC ), campaigned on a nationalist platform, promising to initiate the Jinnah reforms as originally envisioned by Jinnah and others in

2100-462: The 1940s. The factions however criticised each other for disobeying the rules laid down by the country's founding father. The dynamic leadership and charismatic personality of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was highly active and influential in West Pakistan during these days. Bhutto's ideas and the famous slogan " Roti Kapra Aur Makaan " ("Food, Clothing and Shelter") attracted poor communities, students, and

2175-649: The Awami League had secessionist intentions. The continuous public meetings of the Awami League in East Pakistan and the Pakistan Peoples Party in Western Pakistan attracted huge crowds. The Awami League, a Bengali nationalist party, mobilised support in East Pakistan on the basis of its Six-Points Program (SPP), which was the main attraction in the party's manifesto. In East Pakistan, a huge majority of

2250-501: The Awami League to rule, including the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz and rights activist Malik Ghulam Jilani, father of Asma Jahangir , G.M Syed the founder of Sindhi nationalist party Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) and Abul Ala Maududi, the leader of Jamat-e-Islami. However, the political position in West Pakistan was completely different from East Pakistan. In West Pakistan, the population was divided between different ideological forces. The right-wing parties, led under Abul Maududi , raised

2325-484: The Awami League, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman , was one of the key leaders to rally opposition to President Ayub Khan. In 1966, he began the Six point movement for East Pakistani autonomy. In 1968 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was charged with sedition after the government of President Ayub Khan accused him for conspiring with India against the stability of Pakistan. While a conspiracy between Mujib and India for East Pakistan's secession

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2400-463: The Bengali nation favoured the Awami League, under Sheikh Mujib . The party received a huge percentage of the popular vote in East Pakistan and emerged as the largest party in the nation as a whole, gaining the exclusive mandate of Pakistan in terms both of seats and of votes. The Pakistan Peoples Party failed to win any seats in the east. On the other hand, the Awami League failed to garner any seats in

2475-654: The Bolan Pass, which has been used as the route of choice from the coast to Central Asia, entering through Afghanistan's Kandahar region. The British and other historic empires have crossed the region to invade Afghanistan by this route. Balochistan is rich in exhaustible and renewable resources; it is the second major supplier of natural gas in Pakistan. The province's renewable and human resource potential has not been systematically measured or exploited. Local inhabitants have chosen to live in towns and have relied on sustainable water sources for thousands of years. The climate of

2550-580: The Dravidian language throughout the millennias. Although during the Stone and Bronze Age and Alexander the Great 's empire an indigenous population existed, the Baloch people themselves did not enter the region until the 14th century CE. A theory of the origin of the Baloch people , the largest ethnic group in the region, is that they are of Median descent. In 654, Abdulrehman ibn Samrah, governor of Sistan and

2625-681: The Instrument of Accession by Ahmad Yar Khan led his brother, Prince Abdul Karim , to revolt against his brother's decision due to their family rift. in July 1948. Princes Agha Abdul Karim Baloch and Muhammad Rahim refused to lay down arms, leading the Dosht-e Jhalawan in unconventional attacks on the army until 1950. The Prince indulged in Terror activities without any assistance from others. Jinnah and his successors allowed Yar Khan to retain his title until

2700-509: The LFO and that India was increasingly interfering in East Pakistan. Nor did he believe that the Awami League would actually sweep the elections in East Pakistan. A month before the elections the Bhola cyclone struck East Pakistan. This was the deadliest tropical cyclone in world history, killing an estimated 500,000 people. The government was severely criticised for its response to the disaster. The general elections of 1970 are considered one of

2775-659: The National Assembly. The elections were a fierce contest between two social democratic parties, the west-based Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the east-based All-Pakistan Awami League . The Awami League was the sole major party in the east wing, while in the west wing, the PPP faced severe competition from the conservative factions of Muslim League , the largest of which was Muslim League (Qayyum) , as well as Islamist parties like Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP). The result

2850-548: The Pakistan Peoples Party did not want the majority party from East Pakistan forming government. This caused great unrest in East Pakistan. The military junta responded by executing Operation Searchlight , which led to the Bangladesh War of Independence , with East Pakistan becoming the independent state of Bangladesh . The Assembly session was eventually held when Yahya resigned four days after Pakistan surrendered to Bangladesh and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over. Bhutto became

2925-540: The Pakistan Peoples' Party and tacitly or openly supported Bhutto and the democratic socialists, such as Jalaludin Abdur Rahim , an influential Bengali in Pakistan and mentor of Bhutto who was later jailed by Bhutto. Jamat-e-Islami, while supporting allowing the Awami League to form a government, was also against the fragmentation of the country. Conversely, several prominent figures from West Pakistan supported allowing

3000-400: The Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1973, after the post was recreated by the new Constitution. Balochistan, Pakistan This is an accepted version of this page Balochistan ( / b ə ˈ l ɒ tʃ ɪ s t ɑː n , b ə ˌ l ɒ tʃ ɪ ˈ s t ɑː n , - s t æ n / ; Balochi : بلۏچستان ; Urdu : بلوچستان , Urdu pronunciation: [bəloːt͡ʃɪst̪ɑːn] ) is

3075-575: The area up to the ancient cities of Dawar and Qandabil ( Bolan ). It is documented that the major settlements, falling within today's province, became in 654 controlled by the Rashidun caliphate, except for the well-defended mountain town of QaiQan which is now Kalat . During the caliphate of Ali , a revolt broke out in southern Balochistan's Makran region. In 663, during the reign of Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I , his Muslim rule lost control of north-eastern Balochistan and Kalat when Haris ibn Marah and

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3150-543: The arid zones of Chagai and Kharan districts. The plains are also very hot in summer, with temperatures reaching 50 °C (122 °F). The record highest temperature, 53 °C (127 °F), was recorded in Sibi on 26 May 2010, exceeding the previous record, 52 °C (126 °F). Other hot areas include Turbat and Dalbandin . The desert climate is characterised by hot and very arid conditions. Occasionally, strong windstorms make these areas very inhospitable. In common with

3225-451: The fairest and cleanest elections in the history of Pakistan, with about twenty-four political parties taking part. The Awami League, a Bengali nationalist party dominated East Pakistan, while in the West the Pakistan Peoples Party , a leftist and nominally democratic socialist party, was a major power. The Pakistani government supported the pro-Islamic parties since they were committed to strong federalism. The Jamaat-e-Islami suspected that

3300-630: The fall of the Durrani Empire in 1823, four princely states were recognised and reinforced in Balochistan: Makran , Kharan , Las Bela and Kalat . In 1876, Robert Sandeman negotiated the Treaty of Kalat , which brought the Khan's territories, including Kharan, Makran, and Las Bela, under British protection, even though they remained independent princely states. After the Second Afghan War

3375-593: The first direct general elections since the independence of Pakistan and ultimately the only ones held prior to the independence of Bangladesh . Voting took place in 300 general constituencies, of which 162 were in East Pakistan and 138 in West Pakistan . A further thirteen seats were reserved for women (seven of which were in East Pakistan and six of which were in West Pakistan), who were to be elected by members of

3450-549: The first general elections were scheduled for early 1959, severe political instability led President Iskander Mirza to abrogate the constitution on 7 October 1958. Mirza imposed martial law and handed power to the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army , General Muhammad Ayub Khan . After assuming presidency, President Ayub Khan promoted himself to the rank of Field marshal and appointed General Muhammad Musa Khan as

3525-452: The languages with the most native speakers in the province are Balochi , spoken by 39.91% of the population (an increase of 4% compared to the 2017 census), and Pashto whose share is at 34.34%. The Pashtuns mainly inhabit the north of Balochistan and form the majority in Quetta . Baloch on the other hand are found throughout Balochistan, but most highly concentrated in the west and south of

3600-460: The leased areas of Baluchistan, stating that they, "as a part of the Baloch nation, were a part of the Kalat state too" and that if the question of Baluchistan's accession to Pakistan arise, "they should be deemed part of the Kalat state rather than (British) Balochistan". This has brought into question whether an actual vote took place. Political scientist Salman Rafi Sheikh, in locating the origins of

3675-400: The lowest literacy rate in comparison to other provinces, factors some allege have contributed to the insurgency. However, in seventh NFC awards, Punjab province and Federal contributed to increase Baluchistan share more than its entitled population based share. In Balochistan poverty is increasing. In 2001–2002 poverty incidences were at 48% and by 2005–2006 these were at 50.9%. According to

3750-533: The military stationed in East, and ultimatum issued by India to intervene in the conflict, Pakistan had authorized Admiral Ahsan to carry out the investigations into a possible Indian intervention through a cable communication to work out a possible peace solution to end violence in East. The recommendations based on the studies were roughly based on six-point movement proposed by the Awami League in 1969 and called for: The mission also called for Pakistan becoming

3825-566: The mission's recommendations were bypassed with Admiral Ahsan submitting his resignation and posted back to Pakistan, followed by the resignation of Lieutenant-General Yaqub Ali Khan . 1970 Pakistani general elections None (post vacant since 1958) Nurul Amin PML General elections were held in Pakistan on 7 December 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly . They were

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3900-517: The mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and provides the shortest route from seaports to Central Asia. Its geographical location has placed the otherwise desolate region in the scope of competing for global interests for all of recorded history. The capital city Quetta is located in a densely populated portion of the Sulaiman Mountains in the northeast of the province. It is situated in a river valley near

3975-533: The new Commander-in-Chief. On 17 February 1960 President Ayub Khan appointed a commission under Muhammad Shahabuddin , the Chief Justice of Pakistan , to report a political framework for the country. The commission submitted its report on 29 April 1961 and, on the basis of this report, a new constitution was framed on 1 March 1962. The new constitution declared the country the Republic of Pakistan and brought about

4050-573: The newly emerged Rashidun caliphate at the expense of Sassanid Persia and the Byzantine Empire , sent an Islamic army to crush a revolt in Zaranj , which is now in southern Afghanistan. After conquering Zaranj, a column of the army pushed north, conquering Kabul and Ghazni , in the Hindu Kush mountain range, while another column moved through Quetta District in north-western Balochistan and conquered

4125-484: The orders of Yahya resulting in a civil war that led to the formation of the independent state of Bangladesh . The Assembly was eventually inaugurated in 1972 after Yahya resigned and handed power to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto became Prime Minister in 1973 after the post was recreated by a new constitution . On 23 March 1956 Pakistan changed from being a Dominion of the British Commonwealth and became an Islamic republic after framing its own constitution . Although

4200-570: The other provinces of Pakistan, Balochistan has a parliamentary form of government. The ceremonial head of the province is the Governor , who is appointed by the President of Pakistan on the advice of the provincial Chief Minister . The Chief Minister, the province's chief executive, is normally the leader of the largest political party or alliance of parties in the provincial assembly. The unicameral Provincial Assembly of Balochistan comprises 65 seats of which 11 are reserved for women and 3 reserved for non-Muslims. The judicial branch of government

4275-591: The popular vote, becoming the pre-eminent players in the politics of the West. A total of 1,957 candidates filed nomination papers for the 300 National Assembly seats. After scrutiny and withdrawals, 1,579 eventually contested the elections. The Awami League ran 170 candidates, of which 162 were for constituencies in East Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami had the second-highest number of candidates with 151. The Pakistan Peoples Party ran only 120 candidates, of which 103 were from constituencies in Punjab and Sindh , and none in East Pakistan. The PML (Convention) ran 124 candidates,

4350-403: The popular wishes of the masses" and that members of the Kalat State were "excluded from voting; only representatives from the British part of the province voted and the British part included the leased areas of Quetta, Nasirabad Tehsil, Nushki and Bolan Agency." Following the referendum, on 22 June 1947 the Khan of Kalat received a letter from members of the Shahi Jirga, as well as sardars from

4425-400: The province is divided into seven divisions: Kalat , Makran , Nasirabad , Quetta , Sibi , Zhob and Rakhshan . This divisional level was abolished in 2000, but restored after the 2008 election. Each division is under an appointed commissioner. The seven divisions are further subdivided into 36 districts: As of June 2021, there are eight divisions. The eighth division, Loralai Division

4500-647: The province's dissolution in 1955. Insurgencies by Baloch nationalists took place in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–77, with a new ongoing insurgency by autonomy-seeking Baloch groups since 2003. While many Baloch support the demand for autonomy, the majority are not interested in seceding from Pakistan. At a press conference on 8 June 2015 in Quetta, Balochistan's Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti accused India's prime minister Narendra Modi of openly supporting terrorism. Bugti implicated India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of being responsible for recent attacks at military bases in Smangli and Khalid, and for subverting

4575-408: The province. Brahui is spoken by 17.22% mainly in the central part of Balochistan. Other languages include Sindhi (3.81%), Saraiki (2.19%), Punjabi (0.59%), Urdu (0.53%) and others at (1.5%). Balochi forms the majority in 21 districts and Pashto forms majority in 9 districts of Balochistan. Brahui has majority in 4 districts. In the Lasbela , Hub districts and in Kachhi plain region

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4650-426: The province. The Hindu population in the province was approximately 49,133 (including the Scheduled Castes). The Shri Hinglaj Mata mandir which is the largest Hindu pilgrimage centre in Pakistan is situated in Balochistan. There was also a Christian minority of 26,462 individuals in the province. The literacy rate of the province in 2017 was 43.6%, an increase from 24.8% in 1998. The economy of Balochistan

4725-403: The province. The Lasbela district was the worst hit as the floods washed away fourt-fifth's of the homes, crops and livestock. Due to the floods and severe drought conditions, the province faces food insecurity and is 85% dependent on the Sindh and Punjab provinces for the supply of wheat. Furthermore, with the exception of Quetta , Balochistan has been called a "neglected province where

4800-446: The time of the Indian independence movement , "three pro-Congress parties were still active in Balochistan's politics apart from Balochistan's Muslim League ", such as the Anjuman-i-Watan Baluchistan , which favoured a united India and opposed its partition . In British-ruled Colonial India, Baluchistan contained a Chief Commissioner's province and princely states (including Kalat , Makran , Las Bela and Kharan ) that became

4875-436: The upper highlands is characterised by very cold winters and hot summers. In the lower highlands, winters vary from extremely cold in northern districts Ziarat , Quetta, Kalat, Muslim Baagh and Khanozai, where temperatures can drop to −20 °C (−4 °F), to milder conditions closer to the Makran coast. Winters are mild on the plains, with temperatures never falling below freezing point. Summers are hot and dry, especially in

4950-441: The west. The Awami League's failure to win any seats in the west was used by the leftists led by Zulfikar Bhutto who argued that Mujib had received "no mandate or support from West Pakistan" (ignoring the fact that he himself did not win any seat in East Pakistan). Bhutto uttered his infamous phrase " idhar hum, udhar tum " (We rule here, you rule there) – thus dividing Pakistan for the first time orally. Some Bengalis sided with

5025-456: The working class to his party. Under Bhutto's leadership the democratic left gathered and united into one party platform for the first time in Pakistan's history. Bhutto and the left-leaning elements attracted the people of the West to participate and vote for the Peoples Party based on a broad hope for a better future for their children and families. As compared to the right-wing and conservatives in West Pakistan, Bhutto and his allies won most of

5100-529: Was a victory for the Awami League, which gained an absolute majority, winning 160 of the 162 general seats and all seven women's seats in East Pakistan. The PPP won only 81 general seats and five women's seats, all in West Pakistan. In the provincial elections held ten days later, the Awami League again dominated in East Pakistan, while the PPP were the winning party in Punjab and Sindh . The Marxist National Awami Party emerged victorious in Northwest Frontier Province and Balochistan . The National Assembly

5175-430: Was abolished and four provinces were retrieved: Punjab , Sindh , Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province . The principles of representation was made on the basis of population, and since East Pakistan had more people than the combined population of the four provinces of West Pakistan, the former got more than half seats in the National Assembly. Yahya Khan ignored reports that Sheikh Mujib planned to disregard

5250-456: Was created by bifurcating Zhob Division. (km ) (2023) (people/km ) Balochistan's population density is low due to the mountainous terrain and scarcity of water. In March 2012, preliminary census figures showed that the population of Balochistan, not including the districts of Khuzdar, Kech and Panjgur, had reached 13,162,222, an increase of 139.3% from 5,501,164 in 1998. The population constituted 6.85% of Pakistan's total population. This

5325-416: Was ended by the Treaty of Gandamak in May 1879, the Afghan Emir ceded the districts of Quetta, Pishin , Harnai , Sibi and Thal Chotiali to British control. On 1 April 1883, the British took control of the Bolan Pass , south-east of Quetta, from the Khan of Kalat . In 1887, small additional areas of Balochistan were declared British territory. In 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand negotiated an agreement with

5400-511: Was initially not inaugurated as President Yahya Khan and the PPP chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not want a party from East Pakistan in federal government. Instead, Yahya appointed the veteran Bengali politician Nurul Amin as Prime Minister , asking him to reach a compromise between the PPP and Awami League. However, this move failed as the delay in inauguration had already caused significant unrest in East Pakistan. The situation deteriorated further when Operation Searchlight occurred under

5475-480: Was not itself conclusively proven, it is known that Mujib and the Awami League had held secret meetings with Indian government officials in 1962 and after the 1965 war. This case led to an uprising in East Pakistan which consisted of a series of mass demonstrations and sporadic conflicts between the government forces and protesters. In West Pakistan , Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , who served as foreign minister under President Ayub Khan, resigned from his office and founded

5550-548: Was supported by the political leaders of West Pakistan, with the exception of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , and by the international community, including, reluctantly, India. However, the Mission was not supported by the military elements in the Yahya administration who debated acrimoniously over the scope of the mission's recommendations among the advisors in Yahya administration. By the fall of 1971,

5625-410: Was the largest increase in population in any province of Pakistan during that time period, almost thrice the national increase of 46.9%. Official estimates of Balochistan's population grew from approximately 7.45 million in 2003 to 7.8 million in 2005. The 2023 Census enumerated a population of 14,894,402. Languages of Balochistan (2023) According to the preliminary results of the 2023 census ,

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