| Group: | Punjabi Balochs |
| Population: | ~ 6 million (1974 estimation) |
| Popplace: | Punjab Province, Pakistan |
| Langs: | PunjabiSaraikiUrduEnglish |
| Rels: | Islam |
| Related: | BalochBaloch diasporaSindhi BalochBaloch of India |
The Balochs of Punjab (Urdu: {{nq|پنجاب کے بلوچ; Saraiki, Panjabi; Punjabi: {{nq|پنجاب دے بلوچ) are a community of Saraiki and Punjabi-speaking Baloch tribes settled in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The majority of Baloch in southern Punjab, including Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, which adjoin the province of Balochistan, identify as "Saraikis" or "Saraiki Balochs" and natively speak Saraiki, while a minority still speaks Balochi.[1] [2] However, in central and northern Punjab, the people of Baloch descent identify as "Punjabis" or "Punjabi Balochs" and natively speak Punjabi.[3]
According to Dr. Akhtar Baloch, Professor at University of Karachi, the Baloch migrated from Balochistan during the Little Ice Age and settled in Sindh and Punjab. According to Professor Baloch, the climate of Balochistan was very cold during this epoch and the region was inhabitable during the winter so the Baloch people migrated in waves and settled in Sindh and Punjab. Baloch people form majority in Dera Ghazi Khan or Rajanpur districts and found significant numbers in Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan districts, and Multan district.[4]
In his book Searchlights on Baloches and Balochistan, first published in 1974, Mir Khuda Bakhsh Marri, who served as Chief Justice, Governor and Chief Minister of Balochistan, estimated the Baloch population in Punjab to number around 6 million, constituting around one-fifth of Pakistan's Punjab province which at the time stood at roughly 30 million.[5]