New York/Islamabad – In a dramatic turn at the United Nations, Pakistan’s attempt to have the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its military wing, the Majeed Brigade, declared as global terrorist organizations has collapsed. Backed by China, Islamabad had submitted the proposal under the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions committee, but the United States, France, and the United Kingdom jointly vetoed the move, dealing a major diplomatic setback to Pakistan.
Pakistan, supported firmly by China, argued that the BLA and its Majeed Brigade are responsible for a series of deadly attacks on its security forces and infrastructure in Balochistan. Islamabad insisted that the groups should be treated at par with international terrorist networks. However, the Western trio blocked the proposal, stating that the evidence presented did not meet the criteria for a global terror designation under UN frameworks.
US Rejects Pakistan-China Argument
According to American diplomats, the core reason for rejection lies in the technicalities of the 1267 regime, which is designed to target groups directly associated with Al Qaeda or ISIS. Washington made it clear that Pakistan had failed to establish any such links between the BLA or Majeed Brigade and global jihadist networks.
Ironically, the United States itself had declared the BLA and its Majeed Brigade as “foreign terrorist organizations” under its domestic laws last month. At that time, the US State Department said the Majeed Brigade was simply another name for the BLA and reaffirmed the group’s designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). That move was widely interpreted as a balancing act by Washington, which on the same day also listed “The Resistance Front” (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy active in Jammu and Kashmir.
Yet, when it came to the multilateral stage at the UN, the US refused to extend this designation globally, insisting that the procedural requirements were not met.
A Blow to Pakistan’s UN Strategy
Pakistan had hoped that its temporary membership in the Security Council for the 2025–26 term, coupled with China’s permanent seat, would bolster its case. Both countries campaigned actively to push the proposal, portraying the BLA and Majeed Brigade as a growing security threat. But the vetoes from three powerful Western nations have derailed Islamabad’s strategy.
The move comes against a backdrop of repeated Chinese blocks on India’s own efforts at the UN to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists. On several occasions, Beijing has shielded leaders like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives Sajid Mir, Shahid Mahmood, and Talha Saeed from international sanctions. The latest veto, however, turned the tables, frustrating Pakistan and exposing the geopolitical tug-of-war in the Security Council.
Baloch Perspective Gains Spotlight
Meanwhile, the Baloch Liberation Army has welcomed the development, declaring that its fighters are not “terrorists” but defenders of their homeland. The group argues that its attacks are aimed at resisting what it calls “oppression and exploitation” by the Pakistani state in Balochistan.
The BLA has been active for decades but gained renewed international attention earlier this year when its fighters hijacked the Jaffer Express train in May, making global headlines. The group has also claimed responsibility for several high-profile assaults on Pakistani military outposts and infrastructure, actions it frames as a struggle for self-determination.
Regional and Global Implications
Analysts suggest that the UN setback highlights the widening fault lines between Western powers and the China-Pakistan axis. While Washington and its allies maintain a strict interpretation of the UN’s counterterrorism rules, Pakistan sees the rejection as selective justice, accusing the West of double standards.
The decision is likely to embolden Baloch groups, giving them symbolic legitimacy in their narrative against Pakistan. At the same time, Islamabad’s failure underscores its growing diplomatic isolation, despite close ties with Beijing.
For now, Pakistan and China may be forced to recalibrate their approach. But the episode has once again exposed how global counterterrorism mechanisms are shaped as much by geopolitics as by evidence.
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