A self-declared representative of the Republic of Balochistan has submitted a wide-ranging appeal to the United Nations, calling for international recognition of Balochistan as an independent state and alleging decades of violations of international law by Pakistan and Iran.
In a letter dated 5 January 2026 and addressed to the UN Secretary-General, permanent representatives of member states, and relevant UN human rights bodies, Mir Yar Baloch, identifying himself as a Baloch representative, argues that Balochistan was a sovereign entity prior to 1947 and was forcibly annexed by Pakistan in March 1948.
The document contends that the annexation took place without the consent of the Baloch people and in violation of the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against the political independence of a state. It further maintains that international recognition of Pakistan proceeded without addressing what it describes as an act of aggression against Balochistan.
The letter places the current dispute within a broader historical context, citing British colonial-era boundary arrangements, including the Durand Line of 1893 and the Goldsmid Line of 1871–72. According to the appeal, these demarcations divided historic Baloch territories between what are now Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan without the consent of the Baloch people, fragmenting a single homeland and contributing to long-term instability.
Mr Baloch claims that both legislative houses of the Khanate of Kalat, a princely state in Balochistan, unanimously rejected accession to Pakistan in 1947. He alleges that Pakistan nevertheless carried out a military intervention in 1948, leading to what the letter describes as an illegal occupation that continues to this day.
The appeal makes severe allegations of human rights abuses, asserting that Pakistani forces have used prohibited weapons, conducted aerial attacks on civilian areas, and carried out enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings under a so-called “kill and dump” policy. It states that approximately 40,000 Baloch people have been forcibly disappeared and alleges that women activists, including human rights defender Mahrang Baloch, have been targeted.
The letter also accuses Iran of mass executions, forced displacement and cultural repression of ethnic Baloch in western Balochistan, describing these actions as ethnic persecution. In addition, it criticises Pakistan, China and Iran for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources without the consent of the local population, claiming that revenues are diverted towards militarisation rather than development.
Mr Baloch argues that the United Nations has failed to adequately address these issues, alleging that no resolutions have been adopted to investigate human rights violations or to examine Balochistan’s claimed pre-1947 sovereign status. He calls on the UN to “break its silence” and to support what he describes as the right of more than 60 million Baloch people to self-determination.
Among the demands set out in the document are a UN resolution declaring the occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran illegal, formal recognition of Balochistan as an independent state, the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission, and the launch of an international investigation into alleged mass graves and enforced disappearances. The appeal also seeks UN assistance in state-building, reconstruction, and the establishment of diplomatic missions abroad.
The letter was circulated to all UN member states and argues that an independent Balochistan would be secular, moderate and capable of contributing to regional stability, counter-terrorism efforts and the protection of major trade routes.
Neither the United Nations nor the governments of Pakistan or Iran have publicly responded to the claims set out in the appeal.
