In a significant and coordinated move at the United Nations, the United States, United Kingdom, and France blocked joint efforts by Pakistan and China to impose UN sanctions on the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade.
This decision comes just over a month after Washington officially designated both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). Despite that designation, the three countries argued there was insufficient evidence linking the BLA and the Majeed Brigade to Al-Qaeda or ISIL, a key requirement under the UN’s counterterrorism framework.
The proposed sanctions were submitted under the UN Security Council’s 1267 regime, established in 1999 to target entities tied to Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIL. Sanctions under this regime include asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on designated groups or individuals.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, highlighted the urgency of the measure during a Security Council meeting on Wednesday. He warned that terrorist outfits, including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the BLA, and its Majeed Brigade, are operating from Afghan territory and continue to launch cross-border attacks into Pakistan.
“Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains Pakistan’s foremost national security challenge,” Ahmed said, urging the Taliban-led government in Kabul to honor its international counterterrorism commitments.
The Pakistani ambassador also noted that Islamabad and Beijing had formally requested the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee to designate the BLA and its Majeed Brigade. “We hope the Council will act swiftly on this listing to curb their terrorist activities,” he added.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant group, has long been on Washington’s radar. It was first blacklisted in 2019 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity after being linked to a series of violent attacks. Its faction, the Majeed Brigade, has since claimed responsibility for several high-profile assaults, including multiple suicide bombings.
The BLA targets security forces, Pakistani government installations, and infrastructure such as gas pipelines and railway lines. Over the years, it has also carried out high-profile attacks on foreign projects in the region, some of which were linked to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Last month, the US escalated its stance by categorizing both the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, further tightening restrictions on their funding and operations.
