It was disconcerting to watch the programme Dao Paich on Waqt TV on 12-4-2009. The guest was former Chief Minister Balochistan Mr Akhtar Mengal. During the interview Mr Mengal said that Balochistan, including the Quetta city itself and other (mostly Pashtun) areas, were annexed with Pakistan merely by a resolution of the municipal committee, Quetta. This is not correct. In fact British Balochistan comprising Quetta, Pishin, Sibi, Loralai, Zhob and Noshki districts voted for Pakistan in a Shahi Jirga headed by Nawab Muhammad Khan Jogezai of Zhob, a Pashtun. When India was divided into two dominions, both India and Pakistan had hundreds of princely states. These states were supposed to join either India or Pakistan based on their contiguous areas and majority (Hindu or Muslim) populations. All the states in India including Hyderabad and Juna Garh were annexed by India while the princely states of Balochistan, in a logical move, joined Pakistan. No doubt military action was taken in both India and Pakistan to annex the recalcitrant states. But it has to be remembered that there was no provision of keeping the princely states independent in the Partition agenda. Even during the British rule, the princely states had a British resident posted in each state to exercise supervision. Mr Mengal in his Waqt TV interview gave the false impression that the princely states of Balochistan had a fully independent status in British Raj. -DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI, Lahore, April 13.