Entertainment Desk:

Bollywood star Salman Khan has reportedly been banned in Pakistan after sparking controversy by referring to Balochistan and Pakistan as separate countries during a recent public event.

Following the incident, the Pakistani government placed the actor on its ‘Schedule-4’ list under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. The list, often referred to as the ‘blacklist’, includes individuals considered potential threats to national security or suspected of links to terrorism.

According to a report by Indian outlet Mid-Day, Salman Khan appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan at the Joy Forum 2025 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where they discussed the growing popularity of Indian cinema in the Middle East.

During the conversation, Salman remarked that any Hindi film released in the region would now be a blockbuster, adding that Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films could also earn hundreds of crores of rupees because “people from many countries work here: Balochistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan. People have come from everywhere.”

His comment quickly drew backlash, with Pakistani authorities expressing anger over what they perceived as Salman’s implication that Balochistan is a separate nation: a politically sensitive issue for Pakistan.

While the remark provoked strong criticism across the border, reactions in India were divided, with many social media users arguing that Salman’s words had been misinterpreted.