Joy Forum 2025 Saudi Arabia: Salman Khan's Separate Mention of 'Balochistan' and 'Pakistan' Leads to Geopolitical Tensions

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At the Joy Forum 2025, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Salman Khan’s remark on Pakistan and Balochistan has sparked a controversy. In his talks, the actor referred to both these regions as separate countries.

The Bollywood actor's comment is garnering a mix of both positive and negative reactions. People in support of Balochistan’s freedom are praising the comments, while those against this decision are criticizing the celebrity.

What did Salman Khan Say?

Salman Khan, along with other Indian celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan and Amir Khan, attended the Joy Forum on 17 October 2025. It is a global platform that brings together the most influential people around the world from various sectors like media, entertainment, policy, technology, and others. 

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During a speech on the popularity of Indian movies, Salman Khan said, “Right now, if you make a Hindi film and release it here (in Saudi Arabia), it will be a superhit. If you make a Tamil, Telugu, or Malayali film, it will do hundreds of crores in business because so many people from other countries have come here.” He further added, “There are people from Balochistan, there are people from Afghanistan, there are people from Pakistan... everyone is working here.”

Netizens have responded to this comment from various perspectives, though it is unclear whether the actor's remark was deliberate or merely a lapse.

Why is Salman’s Remark Controversial?

Balochistan is situated in the southwestern part of Pakistan, sharing its border with Afghanistan, Punjab, Sindh, and Iran. The Baloch people are fighting for independence from Pakistan on account of resource exploitation, human rights violations, and political marginalization by Pakistan. This unfair treatment led them to protest for their liberation in 1947; the issue became more intense after the formation of Bangladesh in 1971.

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Over the past few decades, there have been attacks from both sides. In the most recent attack, the Pakistani armed forces, who were travelling in a train, were killed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Before this attack, there was also a massive bomb blast outside the parliamentary headquarters in Quetta, where at least 10 people were killed. 

Salman Khan’s remark referring to Pakistan and Balochistan is going viral, drawing condemnation and praise from different groups of people. However, the actor has not yet shared any statement about this incident.