Salman Khan has come under criticism by the Pakistani government because of his latest comment on Balochistan.
The actor has been branded a terrorist and listed under the 4th Schedule of the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act of Pakistan in its blacklist of persons suspected of terror connections; a blacklist that implies close monitoring, travel ban, and legal prosecution.
Salman Khan Blacklisted by Pakistan Over Balochistan Remark
This occurred after Salman appeared at the Joy Forum 2025 in Riyadh, where he, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan gave a speech on why Indian cinema is increasing in popularity in the Middle East.
Salman talked about Balochistan and Pakistan, respectively, in the discussion.
Salman Khan has been placed on the Fourth Schedule by the Government of Balochistan.@BeingSalmanKhan #Balochistan pic.twitter.com/Pbg1uaKiJU
— Nasir Azeem (@BeloetsjNasir) October 25, 2025
Salman Khan’s Speech on Balochistan Triggers Major Controversy
Currently, should you create a Hindi film and launch it in this place (Saudi Arabia), it will become a superhit. Make a Tamil, Telugu, or Malayali movie, it will earn hundreds of crores of money because millions of residents of other nations have visited this place. Balochinian people, Afghanistan people, Pakistan people, people… everybody is working here.
The Pakistani government is infuriated by the comment of Salman Khan. But leaders of Baloch separatists have rejoiced in his statement. Mir Yar Baloch, one of the leaders of the Baloch independence movement, was thankful and said that the mention of Salman had made six crore Baloch rejoice.
He complimented the actor in the way many countries are afraid to do, and called it a strong gesture of soft diplomacy that puts the world aware that Balochistan is another independent state and brings people together at heart.
I don’t know if it was slip of tongue, but this is amazing! Salman Khan separates “people of Balochistan” from “people of Pakistan” .
pic.twitter.com/dFNKOBKoEz— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) October 19, 2025
The restlessness in Balochistan, which has been the largest territory in Pakistan (46% of the total territory, yet only 6 percent of the population -about 1.5 crore people) has been due to the long-built systemic discrimination and a lack of economic consideration.
Although Balochistan is a land endowed with mineral resources, it is the least developed region in Pakistan and more than 70 percent of its population lives below the poverty threshold.
