Executive Summary

We assess that Washington’s designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) marks increasing bilateral cooperation between the United States and Pakistan. The cooperation promises economic benefits for the US in exchange for diplomatic and military leverage for Islamabad’s counterterrorism strategy. Pakistan holds India as a main sponsor and supporter of the BLA. That said, BLA’s growing local support and their use of complex military tactics will organically perpetuate their operations.

Background: The goal of the BLA’s armed insurgency against the Pakistani state is to control Balochistan province. The BLA has carried out several major terrorist attacks within Pakistan, notably the March 2025 seizure of the Jaffar Express train. This attack resulted in 31 deaths among civilians and security forces as the group took more than 300 passengers hostage. Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by area, but smallest by population. It is the country’s most resource-abundant area, containing significant deposits of oil, natural gas, copper, and essential minerals.

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