The United States, United Kingdom, and France have blocked a joint Pakistan-China proposal to sanction the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade, under the UN 1267 regime. The move comes more than a month after Washington declared both groups as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
In their decision, the US and its allies noted that there was insufficient evidence linking the BLA and Majeed Brigade to Al-Qaeda or ISIL, criteria required for designations under the UN sanctions framework.
The UN 1267 regime, established through UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in 1999, imposes measures such as travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes on individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIL.
Pakistan raises security concerns at the UN
Earlier, Pakistan and China jointly submitted the proposal to the UN Security Council, pressing for the designation of the BLA and Majeed Brigade. On Wednesday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, highlighted what he described as the threat posed by terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan.
“Terrorist groups—including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, the BLA, and its Majeed Brigade—were operating and launching cross-border attacks from Afghanistan,” Ahmed said. He added that terrorism emanating from Afghanistan continues to remain Pakistan’s primary national security threat and urged the Taliban-led Afghan government to uphold its international counter-terrorism commitments.
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“Pakistan and China have jointly submitted to the 1267 Sanctions Committee a request to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade. We hope the Council will act swiftly on this listing to curb their terrorist activities,” Ahmed told the Security Council.
US designation of BLA and Majeed Brigade
Last month, the United States declared the Balochistan Liberation Army and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The BLA was earlier designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity in 2019 following a series of violent attacks. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for multiple assaults, including suicide bombings and high-profile strikes carried out by the Majeed Brigade.
