By Staff Reporter | International Affairs
A political group claiming to represent the Republic of Balochistan has issued a strongly worded statement expressing solidarity with the Kurdish people, while implicitly condemning Pakistan and other regional states for what it describes as decades of repression, enforced disappearances and military occupation.
In a declaration dated 20 January 2026, Baloch leaders drew direct parallels between the Kurdish struggle for self-determination and their own conflict with the Pakistani state, accusing Islamabad of systematic human rights abuses in the resource-rich province of Balochistan.
“Baloch and Kurds share blood, history and an unbreakable bond of resistance,” the statement said, describing both peoples as “nations divided by imposed borders” and denied their political rights through force.
The message comes amid renewed international scrutiny of Pakistan’s conduct in Balochistan, where rights groups have long alleged extrajudicial killings, mass disappearances and the suppression of political dissent. Pakistani authorities have consistently denied these accusations, insisting that security operations target only militant groups.
The Baloch statement praised Kurdish fighters for their role in defeating Islamic State, arguing that Western governments had benefited from Kurdish sacrifices while failing to protect them from regional powers. It warned that abandoning the Kurds would represent a “moral failure” for the United States and its allies.
In unusually blunt language, the Baloch leadership suggested that extremist groups had thrived in the region due to the “backing and tolerance of radical regimes”, a remark widely interpreted as a criticism of Pakistan’s historic links to militant organisations — a charge Islamabad has repeatedly rejected.
“Freedom is never gifted; it is earned through sacrifice,” the statement said, invoking Balochistan’s own insurgency against Pakistani rule and framing it as a legitimate struggle for self-rule rather than terrorism.
Analysts say such messaging reflects growing coordination between stateless or marginalised nationalist movements, and increasing frustration with what they see as Western silence over Pakistan’s internal policies. While Pakistan remains a key Western ally, its human rights record in Balochistan has become an uncomfortable issue in diplomatic circles.
The declaration concluded with an unequivocal pledge of solidarity: “Your struggle is our struggle. Your victory will be our victory.”
For Islamabad, the statement is another reminder that the Baloch conflict — often overshadowed by regional geopolitics — continues to resonate beyond Pakistan’s borders, challenging the country’s narrative of stability and democratic progress.
