Pakistan Welcomes US Move to Blacklist BLA, Majeed Brigade as Terrorist Organisations
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has welcomed Washington’s decision to add the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade, to the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs).
The announcement came from the US State Department on Monday, with officials saying it reflected President Donald Trump’s commitment to combating terrorism.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office noted that the country had already outlawed the BLA in 2006 and the Majeed Brigade in July 2024. The FO described both groups as being involved in multiple deadly attacks, including the Jaffer Express train hijacking in March, which left 26 hostages dead, and the May suicide bombing on a school bus in Khuzdar that killed 10 people, including two students. according to the National Counter-Terrorism Authority’s list of proscribed organisations
The BLA and Majeed Brigade have also been linked to a 2024 attack near Karachi airport that killed three people, including two Chinese nationals, and an assault on the Gwadar Port Authority Complex that left eight soldiers dead.
“Pakistan remains a steadfast bulwark against terrorism,” the FO statement read. “Our sacrifices have brought major counter-terrorism gains for regional stability and global security. We will continue working with the international community to tackle this shared challenge.”
Political Leaders Hail the Decision
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the US move a “major diplomatic victory for Pakistan and another defeat for our eternal enemy.” In a post on X, his ministry quoted him as thanking President Trump and his administration, adding that it was “an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s immense sacrifices in the war on terror” and would help pave the way for global action against the BLA and Majeed Brigade.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also praised the decision during an event in Hyderabad, saying the groups had targeted innocent civilians, particularly labourers working in Balochistan. He recalled that the BLA and Majeed Brigade had publicly supported Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during past conflicts between India and Pakistan.
“Now the US has endorsed this point, which is a huge success for Pakistan,” he said, adding that Islamabad should push for the UN to label the groups as terrorist organisations to block international funding, especially from Indian intelligence agencies.
Security Sources Credit Military Diplomacy
According to security officials, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to the US played a key role in the move, highlighting Pakistan’s stance on regional security and exposing what they described as “India’s involvement in state-sponsored terrorism.”
“The US designation of the BLA and Majeed Brigade is a direct outcome of the field marshal’s efforts,” the sources claimed, saying it validated Pakistan’s long-held position and warned that India’s actions posed a threat to both regional stability and global peace.
Background on the Designations
Pakistan had previously urged Washington to list the Majeed Brigade as a terrorist entity. In 2019, the US designated the BLA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, which made it illegal for anyone in the US to provide support to it, but at that time did not add the Majeed Brigade.
Under US law, FTO designations are made by the Secretary of State under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Such listings aim to cut off support for terrorist activity and pressure groups to abandon violence. SDGT designations, under Executive Order 13224, target both individuals and organisations linked to terrorism, even if they are not part of a formally recognised group.
