Designating the Balochistan Liberation Army
Overview
The United States designated the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation in August 2025, a step Pakistan welcomed. A joint Pakistan–China request to list the groups under the UN Security Council's 1267 sanctions regime was, however, reportedly put on hold and then blocked by the US, UK and France.
Latest updates
Reports said the United States blocked the listing, citing insufficient evidence of links to al-Qaeda or ISIL, with France and the UK in support
Pakistan and China jointly submitted a request to list the BLA and the Majeed Brigade under the UN 1267 sanctions committee; the US, UK and France reportedly placed it on hold
The State Department added the BLA and the Majeed Brigade to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, citing attacks including the March 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking; the BLA had…
The State Department added the BLA and the Majeed Brigade to its Foreign Terrorist Organisation list, citing attacks including the March 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking; the BLA had been a Specially Designated Global Terrorist since 2019. (Bloomberg Government)
Positions on the record
Islamabad says
Pakistan welcomed the US decision to designate the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
Quoted or summarised from the linked public statements only.
Recent developments
Pakistan treats the BLA as its most dangerous separatist threat and seeks international recognition of it as a terrorist group. The gap between US domestic designation and its stance at the UN shows the limits of convergence on Pakistan's counterterrorism priorities.
Recommended resources
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US Names Outlawed Pakistani Group as Terrorist Organization
11 August 2025
via Bloomberg Government
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Pakistan Applauds US State Department's Designation of BLA/Majeed Brigade as Terrorist Organization
via The Media Line
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US blocks Pakistan, China's bid at UNSC to blacklist BLA, Majeed Brigade
via The Tribune (India)
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US, UK, France put on hold Pak bid to designate Baloch group as terrorists
20 September 2025
via SuperKalam (news digest)
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Balochistan Liberation Army (Terrorist Groups)
via US National Counterterrorism Center
