Pashtuns in Balochistan

Pashtuns in Balochistan (Pashto: د بلوچستان پښتانه‎) include ethnic Pashtun people and tribes settled in the Balochistan region as well as natives of Balochistan who have Pashtun ancestry. Pashtuns are an important community in Balochistan, exercising considerable political, economic, social and cultural influence in the province, and are one of it's main ethnic groups today.

The northern districts of Balochistan, Pakistan which border Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan have historically been Pashtunized and predominantly inhabited by Pashtuns; in contrast, the southern regions of Balochistan are mainly populated by the local Baloch, Brahui and other ethnic groups. A sizeable Pashtun population is also found in the provincial capital Quetta, where Pashtuns constitute the majority.

History Pashtuns formed the majority of the population in British Baluchistan before Pakistan's independence.[1] They played a pivotal role in the Pakistan Movement in the mid-twentieth century.[1] A prominent Pashtun leader and Pakistan Movement activist from Balochistan was Qazi Essa, who was a member of the Muslim League.[1] Pashtuns have been more economically well-off compared to their Baloch compatriots; after the independence of Pakistan, they overtook the local economy and trade in Balochistan which had previously been controlled by Hindus and Sikhs.[1] An important political development that arose among the community was the formation of the "Pashtun Brotherhood" in the 1950s by Pashtun nationalist figure Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai. This organisation aimed to create a unified Pashtun province within Pakistan which would have also included Pashtun parts of Balochistan. Achakzai's concept did not materialise in the backdrop of the One Unit policy

Pishin and Loralai in northern Balochistan are notable Pashtun districts. Quetta also has a large Pashtun population