Diplomatic Coincidence? US Targets Baloch Groups During Pak Army Chief’s Visit

WASHINGTON, DC – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army and its front organization, the Majeed Brigade, as foreign terrorist organizations. 

Rubio stated that “Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism.” He emphasized that “terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.”

The announcement, made on August 11, also added the TMB as an alias to the BLA’s “previous Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation.”

The BLA, which was designated as an SDGT in 2019, has since claimed responsibility for several terrorist acts, including those carried out by the TMB. Rubio cited the March hijacking of the ‘Jaffar Express’ train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, which resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security personnel and held more than 300 passengers hostage.

This announcement coincided with the visit of Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir, to the US. 

Public schedules for the Departments of Defense and State, and the White House did not list any official meetings for Munir from August 8 through August 14.

The FTO designation bans material or financial support for the designated organizations, freezes their assets, and restricts the travel of their members. A separate designation, the SDGT, made by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, blocks the group’s assets within the US and prohibits transactions with it.

Balochs are fighting enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and systematic repression. Local media reports indicate that many Baloch leaders are currently in jail without having committed any proven crime or receiving a fair trial. They are frequently denied bail and held under fabricated or blanket preventive detention laws. (IANS)