The United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee has stalled a joint bid by Pakistan and China to have the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide unit, the Majeed Brigade, designated as global terrorist organisations.
The proposal was halted after the United States, the United Kingdom and France raised technical objections, requesting additional evidence before any decision could be taken. As a result, the initiative has been placed on hold for at least six months.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN had argued before the committee that the BLA and Majeed Brigade were operating from alleged training camps in Afghanistan and were responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. On this basis, Islamabad and Beijing sought to place the groups on the 1267 sanctions list, which imposes stringent measures such as asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo on entities linked to al-Qaeda, ISIL or their affiliates.
However, three permanent members of the Security Council, Washington, London and Paris, stated that Pakistan and China had yet to provide sufficient proof linking the BLA or the Majeed Brigade to global terrorist networks. The move has therefore been blocked on procedural grounds.
This development is widely seen as a diplomatic setback for both Pakistan and China. For years, the two countries have lobbied international forums to secure recognition of Baloch resistance groups as terrorist organisations, but have so far failed to win consensus at the UN level. Analysts suggest the latest decision reflects continued international reluctance to treat the Baloch movement solely through the lens of terrorism, with many viewing it instead as a political and historical issue.
China, which has invested heavily in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and infrastructure projects in Gwadar, has been a particular target of attacks by Baloch pro-independence groups. Beijing had hoped that UN approval would bolster international backing for tougher measures against the Baloch resistance movement. The committee’s decision, however, has placed those efforts on hold.
Observers note that the outcome underscores a broader message: that designating any movement as a terrorist organisation requires credible evidence and strict legal grounds, rather than political pressure alone. The cautious approach taken by major powers also signals recognition of the Baloch question as part of a wider political and humanitarian context.
It is worth noting that the United States, on 8 August 2025, designated both the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as Foreign Terrorist Organisations under its own domestic law. Yet the threshold for an international listing under the UN system is significantly higher. The rejection indicates that Pakistan and China will need to provide stronger evidence of organisational links between the Baloch resistance movement and global jihadist networks.
Experts argue that the episode marks a new phase in the international framing of the Baloch conflict, where diplomatic lobbying and allegations are no longer sufficient, and where historical and political realities are being weighed more carefully. For the Baloch movement, meanwhile, the decision serves as a reminder that the global community is not approaching the issue from a one-dimensional security standpoint but is instead attempting to understand its deeper political and human dimensions.