“The United States applauded Pakistan’s continued successes to contain terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry quoted the joint statement as saying.
The Dialogue was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Special Secretary for the United Nations, Nabeel Munir, and the US Department of State’s Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Gregory D LoGerfo.”Furthermore, the United States expressed condolences for the loss of civilians and members of law enforcement agencies in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including the barbaric Jaffar Express terrorist attack and the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar,” the statement said.
The statement came after the US State Department designated Balochistan Liberation Army and its fighting wing, the Majeed Brigade as a foreign terrorist organisation. Pakistani officials welcomed the move as it coincided with Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to the US.
The announcement came less than two weeks after Washington and Islamabad reached a trade agreement expected to allow US firms to help develop Pakistan’s largely untapped oil reserves in resource-rich Balochistan and lower trade tariffs for Islamabad.
Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Minsitry welcomed the decision while noting that the BLA was banned at home in 2024.
“Pakistan remains a steadfast bulwark against terrorism. Our sacrifices have secured critical counterterrorism successes, not only for the country, but for regional stability and global security,” it said in a statement.
The US Treasury Department first designated the BLA as a terrorist group in 2019. The State Department said its new designation was added because the group has since claimed responsibility for additional attacks.
The new designation means the BLA is now considered a foreign terrorist organisation and its supporters will face tougher scrutiny in the US and Europe, analysts said.
The BLA claimed responsibility for suicide bombings near the airport in Karachi and in the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan in 2024, the U.S. statement said.
There was no immediate comment from Balochistan nationalists and separatist groups. Balochistan has long been the scene of insurgency, mostly blamed on groups including the key outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which the US designated a terrorist organization in 2019.
