Pakistan and China have jointly submitted a proposal to the United Nations Security Council to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its notorious suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist entities under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. This move aims to isolate the groups internationally and curb their escalating threats, particularly against regional stability and Chinese interests in Pakistan.

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, highlighted the urgency during a Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. He pointed out that terrorist outfits, including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, and the BLA along with its Majeed Brigade, are operating from Afghan safe havens. "These groups maintain over 60 terror camps that facilitate cross-border attacks," Ahmed stated, urging the Council to act swiftly on the listing request submitted by Pakistan and China.

As a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UN Security Council for the 2025-26 term, Pakistan holds key positions, chairing the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee and serving as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. China, a permanent veto-wielding member, lends substantial weight to this initiative. Ahmed emphasized that the Afghan Taliban must uphold their international counter-terrorism commitments, warning that "terrorism from Afghanistan poses the greatest threat to Pakistan’s national security."

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The Majeed Brigade, established in 2011 as the BLA's elite suicide unit, has a history of targeting Pakistani security forces and Chinese projects, including infrastructure under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This joint bid follows recent actions by the United States, which in August 2025 designated the BLA and Majeed Brigade as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The U.S. State Department described the move as part of the Trump Administration’s firm resolve against global terrorism, building on the BLA's prior Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status from 2019.

The BLA has been linked to a series of high-profile attacks. In 2024, it claimed responsibility for suicide bombings near Karachi's airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex, both critical sites for trade and CPEC. More alarmingly, in March 2025, the group hijacked the Jaffar Express train en route from Quetta to Peshawar, resulting in 31 deaths among civilians and security personnel, while holding over 300 passengers hostage in a brazen act of terror.

This UNSC proposal could lead to asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on the designated entities, strengthening global efforts to dismantle their networks. Supporters view it as a crucial step toward regional peace, while critics worry about the broader implications for Balochistan's political landscape. As the Security Council deliberates, the international community watches closely, hoping for unified action against these persistent threats.

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