Bollywood superstar Salman Khan often finds himself in the headlines, and this time is no different. The actor recently made a remark that has stirred a major controversy, especially across the border in Pakistan.
The incident took place during the Joy Forum 2025 event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Salman Khan shared the stage with fellow supersstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. Seeing all three Khans together was a huge delight for fans, but a particular comment made by Salman soon became the center of heated discussion online.
Salman Khan Separates Balochistan From Pakistan
At the event, which saw participation from several global celebrities, the three Khans discussed topics ranging from global cinema and Indian films to their personal journeys in the industry. During the conversation, Salman mentioned Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Balochistan, while speaking about how the Middle East has become a diverse hub for cinema.
He reportedly said, “Right now, if you make a Hindi film and it releases here, it will be a superhit. If you do a Tail, Telugu or Malayali film, it will do hundreds of crores in business because so many people from our country have come here. There are people from Balochistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, everyone is working here.”
It was this reference to “people from Balochistan” being mentioned separately from Pakistanis that triggered outrage online, as Balochistan is officially a province of Pakistan.
Social media erupts over Salman’s statement
Soon after, videos of the event went viral on social media, sparking intense debate. Many users from Pakistan criticized the actor, questioning whether Salman was misinformed, misspoke, or intentionally made the statement. Hashtags related to his comment began trending, with Pakistani social media users trolling him heavily.
However, several others came to Salman Khan’s defense, arguing that his words were taken out of context and that he merely referred to the people of Balochistan as a regional community, not as a separate nation.
Regardless of the intent, the statement has ignited a fresh political debate, as Salman appeared to differentiate between Balochistan and Pakistan in his remarks. For context, Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province, located in the southwestern part of the country.
