Misinformation about Pakistan frequently circulates online in its archrival neighbour India, including footage misrepresented as a rally in August 2026 where a prominent activist supposedly declared Balochistan an independent nation and Kashmir as entirely part of India. The clip of Mahrang Baloch is from January 2024, before she was sentenced to life on murder and terror charges, in a case that has drawn\u00a0condemnation from various rights groups. A review of her speech found she made no such remarks, as indicated in the false posts.<\/p>\n
“Today Mahrang Baloch, the lioness of Balochistan, has declared Balochistan an independent nation, separate from Pakistan,” reads a Hindi-language Facebook post, shared<\/a> August 11 by a member of the\u00a0 youth wing of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.<\/p>\n Pakistan’s security forces are fighting a decades-long insurgency in the sparsely populated but mineral-rich southwestern province — led by separatist militants who accuse authorities and outsiders of exploiting the area.<\/p>\n Rights groups say the violence has been countered with a severe crackdown that has swept up innocent people, claims authorities deny.<\/p>\n The post adds the 33-year-old activist also acknowledged Pakistan-administered Kashmir as “part of India” in her speech. The region is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but has been divided between the two countries since 1947.<\/p>\n The accompanying 22-second video shows Baloch addressing a large crowd and chanting slogans from the stage.<\/p>\n Screenshot of false post taken August 19, 2026, with red X added by AFP<\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The video spread on Facebook<\/a> and was published by Indian outlets\u00a0 Times Now<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0 NewsX Live<\/a> in reports about groups observing August 11 as Balochistan’s independence day — three days before Pakistan’s annual celebration of the end of British rule.<\/p>\n However, the clip is old and the activist’s remarks were misrepresented.<\/p>\n The video bears the logo of The Balochistan Post in the upper right corner.\u00a0A\u00a0 reverse image search<\/a> using keyframes<\/a> led to the full 20-minute version published by the news organisation on\u00a0 YouTube<\/a> on January 28, 2024 ( archived link<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n “Mahrang Baloch pulls one of the largest crowds in Balochistan’s history,” reads the headline.<\/p>\n Its description says the clip shows a gathering by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) — the group she founded — that happened the day prior in the provincial capital Quetta.<\/p>\nNot recent rally<\/h2>\n
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