The United States has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTO), while also adding the Majeed Brigade as an alias to the BLA’s previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) listing.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the move, noting, "Since 2019, BLA has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including by the Majeed Brigade."
On paper, this looks like a counterterrorism measure. In reality, it’s a geopolitical chess move, one that hands Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir an image-boosting victory, helps Washington court Islamabad for resource deals in mineral-rich Balochistan, and puts New Delhi in a delicate diplomatic bind.
Counterterrorism or geopolitical bargain?
The BLA has been waging an armed insurgency against the Pakistani state for decades, accusing Islamabad of looting Balochistan’s natural wealth and suppressing its people. Its targets have included security forces, infrastructure, and Chinese projects under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
While Pakistan outlawed the BLA in 2006 and the US designated it as an SDGT in 2019, this new FTO label significantly escalates the pressure. It chokes off funding channels, criminalises material support, and forces other countries to follow suit.
Timing is the key here. This decision comes right after Asim Munir’s second visit to the US in just two months, a sign of growing military-to-military engagement between the two countries.
It also comes as Washington expresses interest in investing in oil and mining projects in Balochistan -- the very region at the heart of the Balochistan Liberation Army’s insurgency.
Just weeks ago, the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot active in Kashmir, as a terrorist group — a move India welcomed. This latest designation of the BLA now appears like a “balancing act” to keep both New Delhi and Islamabad satisfied.
The optics suggest that Washington is presenting a diplomatic favour to Pakistan as a counterterrorism policy.
Why this is a PR jackpot for Munir
Munir, who has aggressively pushed the narrative that the BLA is an India-backed proxy, will seize on this designation as validation from Washington. For years, Pakistan’s military has accused India’s intelligence agency, RAW, of funding and training BLA operatives -- claims New Delhi flatly rejects as baseless.
By officially labelling the BLA as a global terrorist outfit, the US has, knowingly or not, aligned itself with Pakistan’s talking points. This allows Munir to portray Pakistan as a victim of terrorism, not a perpetrator; justify domestic crackdowns in Balochistan under the banner of “fighting US-recognised terror”; and claim diplomatic credit for convincing Washington to act.
It’s also no coincidence that the move lands at a moment when Islamabad faces mounting global scrutiny over its terror sponsorship history. For Munir, it’s the perfect smokescreen.
Awkward challenge for India
India has always taken a cautious stance on Balochistan. It supports the Baloch people’s right to speak out against human rights abuses but avoids backing armed insurgents.
The tricky part now is that the BLA has openly voiced support for India, urging New Delhi to expose Pakistan’s abuses and reject the idea that Balochistan is “Pakistan’s own.”
With Washington now labelling the BLA a terrorist group, any Indian statement or engagement, even symbolic, could be portrayed as “supporting terrorism.”
This US move strengthens Pakistan’s narrative on the global stage and may create pressure on India to follow suit with the same designation.
As a result, the BLA is now seen less as a regional separatist group and more as a global terror outfit -- a framing that works in Pakistan’s favour and weakens India’s ability to use the Baloch issue as diplomatic leverage.
A conveniently timed shift in the narrative
The BLA’s violent record, from targeting Chinese nationals to carrying out suicide bombings, is well known. But Washington’s sudden move to upgrade its terrorist designation still raises questions.
This isn’t only about counterterrorism. It’s also about energy geopolitics -- gaining influence over Balochistan’s untapped oil, gas, and rare earth reserves. It’s about military signalling, keeping Pakistan close as a counterbalance to China. And it’s about diplomatic trade-offs, giving Islamabad a symbolic win while showing “balance” after backing India on the TRF issue.
For Pakistan’s military, it’s the perfect outcome. The US has boosted their narrative, hit an insurgency they’ve struggled to control for decades, and created new diplomatic challenges for India.
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