A look at Balochistan's link with India

Kalat was the name of the state before the current province was created. The last Khan of Kalat was the President of the Council of Rulers for the Balochistan States Union. Kalat rulers since 16th century were under Mughal and later British rule Kalat was independent for nearly seven-and-half months until Pakistan annexed it on March 27, 1948. There were reports that Kalat tried to strike a deal with India to avoid Pakistani occupation

Mir Ghaus Baksh Bizenjo, who later became the governor of Balochistan, as president of the Kalat State National Party met Congress president Maulana Azad to seek India’s support for an independent Balochistan

Khan of Kalat and Baloch leadership argued Balochistan was like Nepal and sought Indian assistance. He worked out deals with Afghanistan and Iran, with which Balochistan shares borders

After creation of Bangladesh there were suggestions to then PM Indira Gandhi to consider giving a hearing to Baloch struggle

Balochistan has fought wars with Pak Army every decade since 1950s. Pakistan has accused Delhi in the last seven decades of supporting Baloch insurgents and assisting Baloch through Indian consulates in Afghanistan

In 2009, a joint statement signed by PM Manmohan Singh in Sharm el-Sheikh agreed to address real-time credible information on threats in Balochistan, drawing fl ak from the main Opposition BJP

Former Af-Pak envoy late Richard Holbrooke said in 2011 Islamabad failed to provide any evidence to the US that India was involved in Balochistan

"Even if the statement of the Indian PM is meant to divert attention from the ongoing situation in Kashmir, it will still help Baloch nationalists in terms of highlighting their cause because the Baloch have been struggling for ages to get international support and not a single country has ever spoken in their support," says Malik Siraj Akbar, Editor, The Baloch Hal