The United States’ decision to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a foreign terrorist organisation has sparked outrage among Baloch activists, who call it a politically timed “gift” to Pakistan’s powerful army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
In a statement, Mir Yar Baloch said the Baloch people “are not terrorists” but a nation that has endured:
“78 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.”
He accused Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), of nurturing the Islamic State-Khurasan (IS-K), which has recently issued a fatwa calling for violence against peaceful Baloch political parties.
“This is yet another stark example of how Pakistan weaponises radical groups to crush legitimate political voices, suppress democratic aspirations, and destabilise the region,”
he said.
Mir Yar Baloch contrasted the Baloch people’s historic goodwill towards the United States with Islamabad’s duplicity. He noted that during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Baloch never took up arms against either the US or the Soviets, and after 9/11, NATO supply lines passed through Balochistan without a single attack on American convoys. In contrast, he said, “the Pakistani military and the ISI orchestrated anti-American rallies chanting ‘Death to America’ while sheltering terrorists like Osama bin Laden.”
The timing of the US announcement is seen by activists as significant. The designation came during Munir’s second visit to Washington in less than two months — a trip they say delivered him a diplomatic win. It follows the US decision to label The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, as a terrorist organisation.
That move embarrassed Islamabad, as it had claimed the TRF was a local group and had lobbied the UN Security Council to omit references to it. The US further undercut Pakistan by calling TRF a “front and proxy” for Lashkar-e-Taiba, which Islamabad claims is now defunct.
Analysts say the latest designation helps Pakistan project itself as a victim of terrorism, even as it faces accusations of sponsoring militant networks across the region. The BLA, which has claimed multiple attacks, including suicide bombings by its Majeed Brigade wing and the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar, is fighting for an independent Balochistan. Pakistan has long accused India of backing the group but has provided no concrete evidence.
Baloch leaders argue that the US move will criminalise support for their cause while legitimising Pakistan’s human rights abuses. In July, another Baloch leader, Marri, condemned Pakistan’s presidency of the UN Security Council as “a profound affront to global human rights,” accusing Islamabad of war crimes in Balochistan, mass killings in Bangladesh in the 1970s, and violent repression in Kashmir and against minorities at home.
“Recognising 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,” Mir Yaar Baloch said.
“It is time to stand with truth, justice, and the people of Balochistan.”
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