US Labels Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization’

The United States has turned up the heat on the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), officially designating it a foreign terrorist organization — a move that carries heavier consequences than its previous status.

The designation, announced Monday by the State Department, follows the group’s 2019 listing as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) organization. This new label makes it a federal crime for anyone in the US to provide any kind of support to the BLA — going beyond the earlier designation, which mainly targeted the group’s finances.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the step “demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism,” calling such designations “an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.”

The BLA, also known as the Majeed Brigade, has waged a long-running separatist campaign in Pakistan’s largest — but poorest — province. Balochistan has been rocked by multiple uprisings since 1947, the latest starting in the early 2000s and shifting from disputes over natural resources to demands for full independence.

In March, the BLA claimed responsibility for a deadly siege on a train from Quetta to Peshawar that left dozens of passengers and soldiers dead. The province, home to the strategic deep-sea port of Gwadar, is a key link in China’s Belt and Road plans, connecting its southwest to the Arabian Sea.

Islamabad has accused India of fueling BLA attacks — claims New Delhi denies. The violence has further strained Pakistan-India relations, already tense after clashes earlier this year.

The BLA’s upgraded designation comes as the Trump administration works to strengthen ties with Pakistan’s leadership. In June, Trump hosted Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir at the White House, signaling an interest in deepening economic cooperation, particularly in Pakistan’s natural resources and emerging cryptocurrency sector.

It also follows last month’s US decision to label The Resistance Front — which Washington describes as a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot — as a foreign terrorist group after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.