The Department of State is designating a Pakistani militia responsible for a series of public attacks as a terrorist group, less than two weeks after signing a trade deal with the national government.
The Balochistan Liberation Army, which operates a militarized wing under the alias “The Majeed Brigade,” was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on Monday — an escalation from its past classification as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group.
“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism,” the announcement said. “Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities. ”
The State Department outlined a series of terrorist attacks that the BLA has claimed responsibility for, including “suicide attacks near the airport in Karachi and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex” in 2024 and a train hijacking that killed 31 people in 2025.
The BLA is a radical separatist group of Sunni Muslims based in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province, but which contains less than 4% of the country’s population. They have for decades sought to break away from the national government in Islamabad, becoming a powerful insurgent force in the region.
The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs applauded the decision, pointing out that the BLA was already designated as a terrorist group by domestic authorities in 2024.
“BLA/Majeed Brigade is involved in multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the heinous Jaffer Express terrorist incident and Khuzdar bus attack that resulted in the loss of precious lives,” the ministry wrote. “Pakistan remains a steadfast bulwark against terrorism. Our sacrifices have secured critical counter-terrorism successes, not only for the country, but for regional stability and global security.”
BLA is also taking an aggressive posture against resource extraction in Balochistan, whether done by the Pakistani government or foreign companies.
Armed opposition to resource extraction would jeopardize the trade agreement struck by the United States and Pakistani governments less than two weeks ago.
President Donald Trump claimed the deal would allow both countries to “work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves.”
Balochistan is home to significant oil reserves that would doubtless be part of the deal, but separatist leaders attacked the plan as violating the “sovereignty” of the “Republic of Balochistan.”
They also insist that the U.S. terrorism designation against their movement is a mistake.
“The Baloch are not terrorists. They are a nation that has endured 78 long years of state terrorism, economic plunder, radioactive poisoning from Pakistan’s nuclear tests, foreign invasion, and brutal occupation by the extremist and artificial state of Pakistan,” Mir Yar Baloch, a leading separatist, wrote in an open letter to Trump.
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He added, “Recognizing Balochistan’s independence would give the United States a genuine ally, moderate, stable, and aligned with democratic values, far preferable to a corrupt military elite rejected even by its own people.”
The State Department’s decision also comes just days after Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir visited the White House — a meeting that deeply upset Pakistan’s arch-rival, India.
The day before signing the resource deal with Pakistan, Trump also penalized India with 25% tariffs due to its importation of Russian munitions and energy.
The president even took a shot at India in his announcement of the US-Pakistan trade agreement, speculating that Pakistan could be “selling Oil to India some day!”
