Riyadh/New Delhi, October 20, 2025: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after a recent comment at an international event appeared to separate Balochistan from Pakistan, prompting widespread debate over whether it was a slip of the tongue or a deliberate statement.
Speaking at the Joy Forum 2025 in Riyadh, Khan was discussing the growing global appeal of Indian cinema, particularly in the Middle East. Referring to the South Asian expatriate community in the region, he said, “There are people from Balochistan, there are people from Afghanistan, there are people from Pakistan… everyone is working here.”
The remark immediately went viral, with users on social media questioning why the actor mentioned Balochistan and Pakistan separately. Some interpreted it as an inadvertent geographical slip, while others speculated that Khan might have been hinting at the region’s ongoing struggle for autonomy.
One user on X wrote, “Salman Khan mentions Balochistan separately from Pakistan because he knows Balochistan is a different country.” Another said, “Even Salman Khan knows the history of Balochistan — the land of our ancestors.”
Journalist Smita Prakash also commented on the incident, saying, “I don’t know if it was a slip of the tongue, but this is amazing. Salman Khan separates ‘people of Balochistan’ from ‘people of Pakistan’.”
While Khan’s remarks have sparked heated political and cultural discussion, no official clarification has been issued by the actor or his representatives so far.
Balochistan, a mineral-rich province in southwestern Pakistan, shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan. The region has witnessed decades of unrest, with separatist groups demanding independence and accusing Islamabad of economic exploitation and human rights violations. According to Amnesty International, around 10,000 Baloch people have gone missing in Pakistan since 2011.
Observers note that the controversy likely stems from the sensitivity surrounding Balochistan’s political status and the tensions between its nationalist movements and the Pakistani state. However, others argue that Khan’s statement should be viewed in context — as an informal remark during a discussion on cinema’s global reach, not as a political comment.
As of now, neither Salman Khan nor his team has responded to the online debate, which continues to dominate conversations across X and other social media platforms.
