BLA slams US decision to brand Majeed Brigade as FTO, calls it 'colonial narrative'

Quetta, Aug 15 The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on Friday denounced the recent decision by the United States to designate its special unit Majeed Brigade a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), slamming the move as a "deviation from ground realities" and "an implicit endorsement of the colonial narrative" by an international power.

"We view this decision without surprise and without any sense of added pressure. Baloch Liberation Army is a resistance force, active solely against the military domination of the occupying state, and is committed to the liberation of its occupied motherland," BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said in a statement which was posted on X by several Baloch leaders and journalists, including Bahot Baloch.

Jeeyand asserted that Pakistan occupied Balochistan in 1948 by force of arms and the BLA is a continuation of the resistance movement that began that very day. He added that the BLA is the “armed embodiment of Baloch national pride”, which does not require “external validation” or any international certification.

“The allegations put forward by the US echoes the same narrative that Pakistan has used as propaganda for decades. Targetting civilians is not part of our manifesto. At the same time, we make it clear that we are under no obligation to justify the nature of our struggle to anyone, nor will we conform to any narrative that serves state interests," the BLA statement added.

Emphasising that all its operations are directed against the Pakistani Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence networks, death squads and their collaborator gangs within Balochistan, the BLA spoesperson stressed that the struggle is for their motherland — the land of their ancestors — seized from them by Pakistan using force. He further said that the militant group is not opposed to the people of Pakistan, nor to any world power, but their arms are raised solely against the “occupier, whoever that may be and will remain so until the occupation ends”.

The BLA spokesperson stressed that the group operates under the rules of war as defined in international humanitarian law, specifically Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions. The BLA, he stated, is an organised military force conducting all operations in strict compliance with these standards, which define the rights of combatants and the protection of civilians. He mentioned that the militant group has consistently adhered to these principles, adding that non-state resistance movements worldwide have received moral, legal, and political recognition under the same framework.

Jeeyand claimed that the US decision comes at a time when Balochistan’s vast mineral wealth has become the focus of global capitalist interests. He alleged that Pakistan is offering these resources to foreign corporations and plans are being advanced to turn Balochistan into a silent economic colony.

“When national resistance stands in the way of these projects, it is no surprise to see such resistance declared unlawful on a global stage,” the BLA spokesperson stated.

Jeeyand invited the global community to visit Balochistan and witness the ground realities, see the mass graves where Baloch youth lie buried, and look into the eyes of those mothers whose sons have been missing for decades.

He also urged them to witness cities where speech is forbidden and villages subjected to Pakistani military operations carried out under the cover of darkness, and then decide whether organised resistance rises against such oppression, is “terrorism or defense of human dignity”.

Highlighting that BLA is a “disciplined resistance movement” rooted in national vision and respectful engagement with the world, he said in contrast, Pakistan has violated every principle upon which civilised nations are built. The BLA spokesperson pointed out that historical records showed how Pakistan has repeatedly broken agreements, promises, and trust for self-interest, making it an “unreliable state”.

The statement concluded with a pledge that the BLA will never retreat from its “ideological, military or revolutionary” responsibilities.

“We will not allow state propaganda, international labels, or global decisions to block our path. Our struggle will continue until Baloch national liberation and sovereignty are achieved,” it noted.

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