US, UK, and France Block UN Terrorist Designation for B BLA

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US, UK, and France Block UN Terrorist Designation for B BLA

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In June 2026, a joint proposal by Pakistan and China to include the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade on the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions list was put on hold by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The proposal, submitted by Islamabad and Beijing in September 2025, aimed to blacklist the militant groups under the Council’s Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

Pakistan has argued that the BLA and Majeed Brigade operate from sanctuaries in Afghanistan and pose a threat to regional security. China, with significant investments in Balochistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), also views the BLA’s militant attacks as a direct concern. A UN listing would impose asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on the groups.

The United States, while blocking the UN proposal, had already designated the BLA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organization in July 2019, and subsequently designated both the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in August 2025. This U.S. designation means assets are frozen and U.S. persons are prohibited from transactions with them. The Majeed Brigade, a specialized unit of the BLA, is known for high-profile unconventional attacks, including suicide bombings. The BLA itself has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks, including targeting Chinese engineers and infrastructure projects.

The blockage at the UNSC by the US, UK, and France was reportedly based on technical grounds, maintaining that the 1267 Sanctions Committee is specifically for Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and affiliated entities, and that locally focused militant groups do not automatically fall within its scope. Despite this, some analyses suggest that a UN blacklisting of the BLA would bolster broader counterterrorism cooperation and

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