1 hour ago
Last Updated:September 19, 2025, 10:55 IST
Pakistan and China have jointly requested the UNSC to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, Majeed Brigade, as terrorist entities.
A security personnel stands guard near charred truck containers torched by armed separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) at central Bolan district in Balochistan province (Photo: AFP)
A joint bid to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, Majeed Brigade, as a terrorist entity was submitted to the United Nations Security Council by Pakistan and China. However, it was later blocked by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
According to a report by the Economic Times, the three countries put a technical hold on the proposal, citing insufficient evidence to link the outfits to Al Qaeda and ISIL.
According to a statement by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, terrorist entities, including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, the BLA and its Majeed Brigade, operate from Afghan sanctuaries, with more than 60 terror camps serving as hubs for enabling cross-border attacks.
“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 said at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan.
He also said the Afghan Taliban authorities must fulfil their international obligations on counter-terrorism.
“Terrorism emanating from Afghanistan remains the gravest threat to Pakistan’s national security," he said.
Last month, the United States designated the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
The State Department had said that the Majeed Brigade was an alias to BLA’s previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation.
BLA was designated as an SDGT by Washington in 2019 following several terrorist attacks. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including by the Majeed Brigade, the State Department had said.
It also said that in 2024, BLA claimed it had committed suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex.
In 2025, the outfit claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding hostage over 300 passengers.
Pakistan currently sits in the 15-nation Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2025-26 term, while China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the powerful UN body.
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Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
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First Published:
September 19, 2025, 10:41 IST
News world China, Pakistan Urge UNSC To Label Balochistan Liberation Army, Suicide Wing As Terrorist Entity
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