Editing Balochistan, Pakistan (section)

{{Short description|Province of Pakistan}}
{{About |the Pakistani province|the geographic region|Balochistan|other uses|Balochistan (disambiguation)}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=May 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Balochistan
| type               = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|Province]]
| official_name      = Province of Balochistan
| native_name        = {{unq|بلوچستان}}
| native_name_lang   = bal
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border                 = infobox
| total_width            = 280
| image_style            = border:1;
| perrow                 = 1/2/2
| image1                 = Quaid-e-Azam Residancy Ziarat Balochistan by Balochlens.jpg
| caption1           = [[Quaid-e-Azam Residency]]
| image2                 = Princes of Hope, Hingol National Park, Pakistan.jpg
| caption2           = [[Princess of Hope]]
| image3                = Hanna Lake Quetta.jpg
| caption3           = [[Hanna Lake]]
| image4                 = Chiltan Mountain.jpg
| caption4           = [[Koh-i-Chiltan]]
| image5                 = Kund Malir Beach, Balochistan.jpg
| caption5           = [[Kund Malir]]
| image6                = Baluchistan Canyons.jpg
| caption6           = [[Hingol National Park|Canyons of Balochistan]]
| image7                 = Pasni Milkyway Balochistan Milkyway.jpg
| caption7           = [[Pasni (city)|Pasni]]
}}
| image_flag         = Flag of Balochistan.svg
| flag_alt           = 
| image_seal         = Coat of arms of Balochistan.svg
| nickname           = 
| image_map          = Balochistan in Pakistan (claims hatched).svg
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Location of Balochistan in Pakistan
| coordinates        = {{coord|27.7|65.7|region:PK_type:adm1st_dim:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Pakistan]]
| subdivision_type1  = 
| subdivision_name1  = 
| established_title  = Established
| established_date   = [[Legal Framework Order, 1970|1 July 1970]]
| seat_type          = Capital<br />{{nobold|and largest city}}
| seat               = [[Quetta]]
| parts_type         = Subdivisions
| blank_name_sec1    = [[#Languages and ethnicities|Main language(s)]]
| blank_info_sec1    = {{bulleted list|[[Urdu]], [[English language|English]] (official)|{{unbulleted list|''Spoken Languages'': [[Balochi language|Balochi]], [[Pashto]],  [[Brahui language|Brahui]], [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]]}}}}
| blank1_name_sec1   = Notable sports teams
| blank1_info_sec1   = [[Quetta Gladiators]]<br />[[Quetta Bears]]<br />[[Balochistan cricket team]]
| parts_style        = list
| blank1_name_sec2   = [[Divisions of Balochistan|Divisions]]
| blank1_info_sec2   = 8
| blank2_name_sec2   = [[Districts of Balochistan, Pakistan|Districts]]
| blank2_info_sec2   = 35
| blank3_name_sec2   = [[List of tehsils of Balochistan|Tehsils]]
| blank3_info_sec2   = 134
| blank4_name_sec2   = [[Union Councils of Pakistan|Union Councils]]
| blank4_info_sec2   = 978<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1674443 | title=Delimitation of union councils, wards in Balochistan completed | date=11 February 2022 }}</ref>
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Federated state|Self-governing province]] subject to the [[Government of Pakistan|federal government]]
| governing_body     = [[Government of Balochistan, Pakistan|Government of Balochistan]]
| leader_party       = 
| leader_title       = [[Governor of Balochistan, Pakistan|Governor]]
| leader_name        = [[Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail]]
| leader_title1      = [[Chief Minister of Balochistan|Chief Minister]]
| leader_name1       = [[Sarfraz Bugti]]
| leader_title2      = [[Chief Secretary Balochistan|Chief Secretary]]
| leader_name2       = Shakeel Qadir Khan
| leader_title3      = [[Legislature]]
| leader_name3       = [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan|Provincial Assembly]]
| leader_title4      = [[High Courts of Pakistan|High Court]]
| leader_name4       = [[Balochistan High Court]]
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 347190
| area_rank          = [[Administrative units of Pakistan|1st]]
| area_note          = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_total   = 14,894,402
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_as_of   = [[2023 Census of Pakistan|2023]]
| population_rank    = [[Demographics of Pakistan|4th]]
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Population of Pakistan reaches 241.49 million as the Digital Census concludes |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/Press%20Release.pdf |access-date=2023-08-05 |website=Pakistan Bureau of Statistics |language=en}}</ref>
| blank2_name_sec1   = [[List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank2_info_sec1   = 0.475 {{increase}}<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/PAK/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=1&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0&colour_scales=global|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|access-date=18 August 2021}}</ref><br />{{color|#900|low}}
| blank3_name_sec1   = [[Education in Pakistan|Literacy rate]] (2023) <ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_balochistan_province.pdf | title=Balochistan Achieves Highest Literacy Growth Rate Among All Provinces | date=9 June 2025 }}</ref>
| blank3_info_sec1   = {{bulleted list|'''Total:'''<br />(42.01%) |'''Male:'''<br />(50.50%) |'''Female:'''<br />(32.80%)}}
| timezone1          = [[Pakistan Standard Time|PKT]]
| utc_offset1        = +05:00
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 
| area_code_type     = 
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:PK|PK-BA]]
| blank4_name_sec1   = [[National Assembly of Pakistan|Seats in National Assembly]]
| blank4_info_sec1   = 20
| blank5_name_sec1   = [[Provincial Assembly of Balochistan|Seats in Provincial Assembly]]
| blank5_info_sec1   = 65
| website            = {{URL|http://www.balochistan.gov.pk}}
| footnotes          = 
| demographics1_info1 = $20 billion ([[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|4th]]){{efn|name=g}}
| demographics_type1 = GDP (nominal)
| demographics1_title1 = [[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|Total (2022)]]
| demographics1_title2 = [[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|Per Capita]]
| demographics1_info2 = $1,621 ([[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|5th]])
| demographics_type2 = GDP (PPP)
| demographics2_title1 = [[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|Total (2022)]]
| demographics2_info1 = $80 billion ([[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|4th]]){{efn|name=g|Balochistan's contribution to national economy was 5.33%, or $80 billion (PPP) and $20 billion (nominal) in 2022.<ref name=kp>{{Cite web|url=https://kpbos.gov.pk/assets/docs/reports/NTL-PolicyBrief-Aug-1.pdf|title=
GDP OF KHYBER PUKHTUNKHWA'S DISTRICTS|website=kpbos.gov.pk}}</ref><ref name="imf.org">{{cite web | url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?c=564,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,PCPIEPCH,&sy=2020&ey=2022&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 | title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects }}</ref>}}
| demographics2_title2 = [[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|Per Capita]]
| demographics2_info2 = $6,485 ([[List of Pakistani administrative units by gross state product|5th]])
| flag_size          = 130px
| seal_size          = 100px
}}
'''Balochistan''' ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|ˈ|l|ɒ|tʃ|ᵻ|s|t|ɑː|n|,_|b|ə|ˌ|l|ɒ|tʃ|ᵻ|ˈ|s|t|ɑː|n|,_|-|s|t|æ|n}}; {{langx|bal|بلۏچستان}}; {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|بلوچستان}}}}, {{IPA|ur|bəloːt͡ʃɪst̪ɑːn|audio=LL-Q1617 (urd)-نعم البدل-بلوچستان.wav}}) is a [[Administrative units of Pakistan|province]] of [[Pakistan]]. Located in the [[Geography of Pakistan|southwestern region]] of the country, Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan by land area but is the [[Demographics of Pakistan|least populated one]]. It is bordered by the Pakistani provinces of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] to the north-east, [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] to the east and [[Sindh]] to the south-east; shares international borders with [[Pakistan-Iran border|Iran]] to the west and [[Durand line|Afghanistan]] to the north; and is bound by the [[Arabian Sea]] to the south. Balochistan is an extensive [[plateau]] of rough terrain divided into basins by ranges of sufficient heights and ruggedness. It has a large deep sea port, [[Gwadar Port|the Port of Gwadar]] lying in the Arabian Sea.

Although it makes up about 44% of the land area of Pakistan, only 5% of it is arable and it is noted for an extremely dry [[desert climate]].<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">{{Cite news |title=Balochistan {{!}} province, Pakistan |work=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Balochistan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405173533/https://www.britannica.com/place/Balochistan |archive-date=5 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="Government of Balochistan">{{Cite web |title=Livestock at a glance |url=https://balochistan.gov.pk/expo-livestock-2019/livestock-at-a-glance/ |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=Government of Balochistan |language=en-US}}</ref> Despite this, agriculture and livestock make up about 47% of Balochistan's economy.<ref name="Government of Balochistan" />

The name "[[Balochistan#Etymology|Balochistan]]" means "the land of the [[Baloch people]]".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Heath |first1=John E. |author-link=John Everett-Heath |title=Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |year=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-01-91-90563-6 |edition=6 |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191905636.001.0001/acref-9780191905636-e-590 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Largely underdeveloped, its [[Economy of Balochistan, Pakistan|economy]] is also dominated by natural resources, especially its [[Oil and Gas Development Company|natural gas fields]]. Aside from [[Quetta]], the second-largest city of the province is [[Turbat]] in the south, while another area of major economic importance is the port city of [[Gwadar]] on the Arabian Sea, an emerging future business hub.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-29 |title='Gwadar is future business hub of country' |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1035326-gwadar-is-future-business-hub-of-country |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=The News International |language=en}}</ref>