QUETTA: The Baloch Students Organisation expressed grave concern Saturday over a resolution reportedly adopted by the University of Makran in Panjgur favouring the creation of new provinces in Balochistan.

A central spokesperson for the group argued that monumental decisions concerning the region’s political future cannot be made by a university administration or in closed meetings involving a few individuals.

The BSO questioned the administration’s authority to pass a resolution on a purely political issue, especially given strict restrictions on student political activities, organizational programs and freedom of expression on campuses.

“If students are subjected to restrictions on political expression, the administration of the University of Makran, Panjgur, must explain under what authority it passed a resolution on the division of Balochistan,” the spokesperson said, describing the situation as a double standard.

The spokesperson noted that Balochistan is not merely an administrative unit on a map, but a homeland inherently linked to the history, identity and collective existence of the Baloch people. Any decisions regarding the region should be made through democratic, constitutional processes, he added.

The BSO demanded the university clarify the legal or institutional authority empowering it to adopt the resolution. Universities are centers of education, research and dialogue, the group maintained, and creating a political justification for dividing Balochistan is not part of their mandate.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026