The Pakistan-United States relationship grows from strength to strength. After inviting Asim Munir to America twice in a month, the US State Department on Monday officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).
“Today, the Department of State is designating the
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, and adding the Majeed Brigade as an alias to BLA’s previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) desgination,” said the Department on Monday (August 11).
The move reflects US President Donald Trump’s administration’s commitment to “countering terrorism.”
We take a closer look at what exactly are these groups, why they have been designated as terror organisations, and how its advantageous to Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir.
About the Baloch Liberation Army
Formed in the early 2000s, the
Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) emerged with the intention of establishing an independent state of
Balochistan. They claim that the people of Baloch have been excluded — economically and politically — by the Pakistan government.
Analysts studying the Baloch resistance movements say the BLA was led by Balach Marri, son of veteran Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri. As per Indian Express, the BLA is currently led by Basheer Zeb.
It draws in its cadres from the Marri, Bugti and Mengal clans that exist in Balochistan. Though some analysts put the present strength of the BLA at 6,000, the number of sympathisers to the Baloch cause is much higher. Today, the new generation of young social media savvy Baloch university graduates is the main support base of the group.
The BLA’s funding continues to be a mystery with analysts pointing to extortion, smuggling and drug trafficking. However, Pakistan maintains that India funds the BLA, a claim that many experts question.
Islamabad-based Imtiaz Baloch from The Khorasan Diaryhowever, said income from massive coal mines in Balochistan province is a main economic source for the group.
Since its inception, the BLA has carried out attacks on Pakistani security officials, government structures, and installations, including Chinese-funded installations under the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This resulted in it being deemed a terror organisation in Pakistan in 2006, with the US designating it as an SDGT in 2019.
The Majeed Brigade, explained
The
Majeed Brigade is considered the ‘special forces division’ of the BLA. It derives its name from two brothers — Majeed Langove Senior and Majeed Langove Junior. While Senior was killed while attempting to assassinate then Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during the latter’s official visit to Quetta in 1974, Junior was killed trying to save his associates during a Pakistani security forces raid in 2010.
To honour them, the BLA decided to form a suicide squad and named it the Majeed Brigade.
Today, the Majeed Brigade is a well-armed group and is in possession of high-grade weapons. It also has access to sophisticated explosives like C4 for making suicide vests. A RFEL report cites that the BLA and its units obtained American weapons and military equipment after they pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. Some experts also note that as of today, the Majeed Brigade is made up of no more than 100 to 150 members, including women.
BLA and Majeed Brigade’s rein of terror in Pakistan
Over the years, the BLA and its Majeed Brigade have been held responsible for numerous deadly attacks targeting security forces and critical infrastructure.
The most recent attack perpetrated by members of the group was the hijacking of the
Jaffar Expresswhich was carrying 400-odd passengers that included dozens of security personnel, in March. As the train was passing through the Dhadar area of Bolan Pass, terrorists blew up the railway track and killed at least 10 security personnel, forcing the train to a halt. The attackers claimed that passengers on the train were hostages now — though dozens of passengers later reached Panir.
It was hours later that Pakistan’s security forces said they had killed all 33 attackers of the BLA, putting an end to the attack.
But the train hijacking isn’t a lone incident. On October 7, 2024, the BLA claimed responsibility for a blast that targeted Karachi’s airport road, killing two Chinese nationals and injuring 10 Pakistani nationals.
In 2022, the Majeed Brigade deployed a 31-year-woman to carry out a suicide attack. She killed three Chinese citizens and their Pakistani driver in front of the Confucius Institute in the southern seaport city of Karachi on April 26.
On June 29, 2020, the BLA attacked the Karachi stock exchange, killing at least three people — two guards and a policeman. According to the police, the attackers armed with grenades and automatic rifles. They launched the attack by opening fire at the entrance gate of the Pakistan Stock Exchange in the southern port city, the country’s financial centre. Eight minutes later, the attack ended with the death of all the attackers.
The BLA also claimed responsibility for storming the Pearl Continental, a five-star hotel in the port city of Gwadar, in May 2019. Their intention behind the attack was to go after “Chinese and other foreign investors”.
In 2018, the BLA also targeted the Chinese Consulate in Karachi. Security forces killed all three attackers and secured the building shortly after the raid.
Analysts note that the BLA and its Majeed Brigade have often targeted Chinese officials as a result of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which they term as an “imperialist” endeavour.
Good news for Munir
The designation of the BLA and Majeed Brigade as a terrorist organisation came at a time when Pakistan army chief
Asim Munir was in the United States — a move that he will take as a diplomatic win.
Moreover, analysts note that by naming the BLA as a terror organisation, Pakistan and Munir have effectively showcased that they are victims, not perpetrators and facilitators, of terrorism.
Also with this move, the BLA’s funding will be choked as it triggers restrictions on providing financial support and other aid to the group. This step could also help Pakistan’s army to counter the group. Until now, Pakistan hasn’t found much success in its counterterrorism efforts.
Notably, the timing of the move is significant. It comes days after a Baloch leader wrote an open letter to US President Donald Trump, warning him that he had been misled by Munir on the “
massive oil reserves” in Pakistan. He wrote that the reserves of oil, natural gas, copper, and rare earth minerals are not located in actual Pakistan and belong to the ‘Republic of Balochistan’.
He added that Balochistan is not for sale. “We will not permit Pakistan, China, or any other foreign power to exploit our land or its resources without the explicit consent of the Baloch people.”
With inputs from agencies
