Months after the United States designated the Indian proxy… Fitna al-Hindustan, or the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majid Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), Australia has now formally listed both outfits as terrorist organizations while imposing sanctions on several key figures linked to the groups.
According to an official notification issued under Australia’s Charter of the United Nations Act 1945, the sanctions and listings were added under targeted counterterrorism measures connected to international security obligations.
The newly listed individuals include Bashir Zaib, Hammad Rehan, and Jeeyand Baloch, the latter widely known as the head of the banned BLA’s suicide unit, Majid Brigade.
The Majid Brigade has claimed responsibility for multiple high-profile terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings and assaults targeting security personnel, civilians, Chinese nationals, and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The Australian notification, dated May 8, 2026, was issued under Parts 3 and 4 of the Charter of the United Nations Act, enabling targeted financial sanctions and restrictions against listed individuals and entities.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the international community to take coordinated action against terrorist organizations involved in violence and cross-border attacks meant for destabilization of the region.
Security officials in Pakistan have long maintained that the banned BLA and its Majid Brigade faction operate through transnational facilitation networks and have intensified attacks on strategic economic and security targets in recent years.
The latest Australian move comes after the United States, on August 11, 2025, formally designated both the banned BLA and Majid Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
At the time, Washington said the groups were involved in deadly terrorist violence, including suicide attacks against civilians and security forces, and accused them of threatening regional stability through coordinated militant operations.
The US designation-imposed sanctions on the organizations, blocked assets under US jurisdiction, criminalized material support, and paved the way for broader international cooperation against the groups’ financing and operational infrastructure.
Analysts believe Australia’s latest action reflects a growing international consensus regarding the terrorist nature of the banned BLA and Majid Brigade, particularly following repeated attacks targeting civilians, foreign nationals, and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
