The United States has formally designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its militant wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), marking a significant diplomatic development in South Asia. While the BLA was already listed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity, the Majeed Brigade has now been officially recognised as an alias under the same designation. Announcing the decision, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that since 2019, the BLA—through the Majeed Brigade—has carried out additional high-profile attacks.
The move is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for Pakistan, which has long battled a separatist insurgency in its resource-rich Balochistan province. The BLA, claiming to fight for an independent Balochistan, has targeted Pakistani security forces, infrastructure, and strategic projects, including suicide bombings at Gwadar Port and the hijacking of the Jaffar Express. Pakistan’s military leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, has repeatedly accused India of covertly supporting the insurgents through its intelligence agency, RAW—a charge India firmly denies, insisting that Balochistan’s unrest is the result of Pakistan’s internal governance failures.
The US designation aligns Washington more closely with Pakistan’s long-standing position, making it harder for the BLA to secure funding, weapons, or diplomatic sympathy abroad. It also increases pressure on other nations to cut ties with the group. The announcement comes soon after Munir’s second visit to the US in as many months and follows Washington’s declaration of investment plans in Balochistan’s mining and oil sectors, suggesting a deepening of bilateral security and economic engagement.
For India, however, the designation presents diplomatic challenges. The BLA has previously voiced support for India’s stance on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and urged New Delhi to highlight human rights abuses in Balochistan. Some BLA leaders have even expressed hope that India’s rising military strength could aid their cause. With the US now firmly categorising the BLA as a terrorist group, India risks accusations of duplicity if it maintains even indirect sympathy for the movement. The designation could also increase American pressure on New Delhi to take a similar stance, a step that would close off any strategic flexibility India might have in engaging with Baloch separatist narratives.
Beyond counterterrorism, this move reshapes the geopolitical dynamics of the Balochistan conflict. It strengthens Pakistan’s diplomatic hand, complicates India’s regional manoeuvring, and signals a recalibration of US priorities in South Asia—one that balances its relations with both Islamabad and New Delhi in the aftermath of recent military operations and shifting alliances. The decision reframes the BLA from a regional insurgency to an international security concern, setting the stage for long-term changes in how the conflict is addressed on the global stage.
