20 Rials Baluchistan

Balochistan (Balochi: بلۏچستان) is a historical region on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. Balochistan has long been the scene of a fierce struggle for control of the route that runs through its territory, linking India with Iran. In ancient times, Balochistan was known to the ancient Greeks as ancient Gedrosia, which is mentioned in connection with Alexander the Great's Indian campaign. In subsequent eras, until the 9th century, Balochistan changed hands, experiencing frequent invasions (by the Sakas, Parthians, Kushans, and others). The Muslim conquest linked it with neighboring Arab states—the Saffarids, Samanids, and others. Currently, Balochistan is divided between three countries: Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The Balochistan region has experienced a series of insurgencies by separatist militants demanding independence for the Balochistan regions of the three countries to form a "Greater Balochistan." In Pakistan, separatist militant insurgencies in Balochistan province occurred in 1948, 1958-59, 1962-63, and 1973-77, while a new, ongoing, but less intense, insurgency began in 2003. Historically, the conflict has been attributed to "tribal differences" between the Baloch and Pashtun peoples. Separatist militants in Pakistan demand greater autonomy and a greater share of the region's natural resources. The Baloch population in Pakistan has faced serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. These acts are allegedly committed by state security forces and their accomplices. In 2019, the United States designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) a global terrorist group. Separatist insurgency in Iran has not reached the same level as the conflict in Pakistan, but it has intensified and become more sectarian since 2012. Sistan-Baluchestan, one of Iran's poorest regions, has long been plagued by unrest involving drug gangs, Baloch minority insurgents, and Sunni extremists.