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On August 11, 1947, the Khan of Kalat declared the state's independence after the British withdrew. Kalat maintained that it had a treaty relationship with the British Crown rather than being a directly administered province of British India. Following the declaration, Kalat functioned as a separate entity for several months.

The self-proclaimed Republic of Balochistan has renewed its independence campaign by declaring August 11 as Balochistan's Independence Day and calling on the international community to recognise it as a sovereign state. It is a date that holds deep historical significance for many Baloch nationalists. The observance is linked to events that took place in 1947, when the princely State of Kalat, which covered much of present-day Balochistan, declared itself independent following the end of British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent. Let's decode the symbolic significance of August 11.

Balochistan declares Independence Day

The self-proclaimed "Republic of Balochistan" has declared August 11 as its "Independence Day", three days before Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14. The news of the declaration of independence comes weeks after it declared independence from Pakistan, urging Baloch communities worldwide to mark the occasion.

Every year on August 11, Baloch nationalist groups and activists observe the day as a symbol of what they describe as Balochistan's brief period of sovereignty before its integration into Pakistan in 1948. While Pakistan considers Balochistan an integral part of the country.