The United States has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) — a move hailed by Pakistan as a major diplomatic success.
The US State Department announced on Monday that both outfits have been added to its FTO list under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Majeed Brigade, which was banned in Pakistan last year, has also been included as an alias under the BLA’s existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status, first imposed in 2019.
According to the State Department, the BLA has carried out multiple deadly attacks in recent years, including suicide bombings near Karachi airport and Gwadar Port in 2024, and the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express train, which killed 31 people and held over 300 passengers hostage.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry welcomed the decision, crediting Pakistan’s effective diplomacy and the efforts of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. Both officials accused the groups of serving as proxies for India and called the designation a victory for Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.
The announcement comes amid an uptick in militant attacks in Balochistan and growing US-Pakistan counter-terrorism cooperation. Just a day earlier, COAS Asim Munir concluded a high-profile visit to Washington, describing it as a “new dimension” in bilateral relations.
US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla recently praised Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in counter-terrorism, noting its success in capturing Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) leaders and its ongoing fight against more than 1,000 terrorist attacks in western Pakistan this year.
