Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech of August 15, 2016 signalled an aggressive shift to India’s approach towards Pakistan.
Prime Minister’s reference to Balochistan marked a first, and deliberate, shift in India’s consistent policy of refraining from commenting on the internal affairs of another country, even as he referred to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, which India claims as its own.
Prime Minister’s comments, following up his vow to the all-party meeting on Kashmir to draw international attention to Pakistan’s atrocities in Balochistan, came after a series of provocations from Pakistan over Kashmir.
