The United States has blocked a joint effort by Pakistan and China at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its allied group, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organisations under the UN sanctions regime.

According to reports, the US, along with France and the United Kingdom, opposed the proposal earlier this month. The request had been submitted by Pakistan and China in September last year to the UNSC's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. The two countries sought the inclusion of the BLA and the Majeed Brigade on the committee's sanctions list.

The decision is significant because the United States, France and the United Kingdom are all permanent members of the Security Council and hold veto powers. Their opposition effectively prevented the proposal from moving forward.

Pakistan is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council for the 2025-26 term. China, meanwhile, remains one of the five permanent veto-wielding members of the powerful UN body.

Pakistan has also been playing an active role in the UN's counter-terrorism mechanisms. In 2025, it served as the chair of the Taliban Sanctions Committee and as the vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

While advocating for the listing of the BLA and the Majeed Brigade, Pakistan highlighted what it described as growing terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, raised the issue during a UN Security Council meeting.

He stated, "Pakistan and China have jointly submitted to the 1267 Sanctions Committee a request to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade. We hope the Council will act swiftly on this listing to curb their terrorist activities."

Ahmed had also said that terrorist organisations including ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, East Turkistan Islamic Movement, BLA and the Majeed Brigade, were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan. According to him, more than 60 terrorist camps were functioning there and were being used to facilitate cross-border infiltration and attacks.

The move garnered international attention since China has previously used its position in the Security Council to delay or block proposals related to Pakistan-based terrorists. Over the years, India, often supported by countries such as the United States, has submitted requests to designate certain Pakistan-linked terrorists and terror groups under the same 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. Several of these proposals were put on hold by China.

Despite opposing the latest UN designation request, the United States itself already considers the BLA and the Majeed Brigade to be terrorist organisations. Washington has officially designated the Balochistan Liberation Army as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). The Majeed Brigade has also been included as an alias under the BLA's existing Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation.

The US State Department has previously explained that the move reflects its commitment to combating terrorism. The department had said, "demonstrates the Donald Trump Administration's commitment to countering terrorism. Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities."

The BLA was first designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organisation by the United States in 2019 following a series of attacks. According to the State Department, the group has continued to claim responsibility for several violent incidents since then, including attacks carried out by the Majeed Brigade.

The State Department noted that in 2024, the BLA claimed responsibility for suicide attacks near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex. It also pointed to developments in 2025, when the group reportedly claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar.

According to US authorities, the attack resulted in the deaths of 31 civilians and security personnel. More than 300 passengers aboard the train were also taken hostage during the incident.

The latest decision at the United Nations highlights a complex situation in which the BLA and the Majeed Brigade are already recognised as terrorist organisations by the United States, but efforts by Pakistan and China to secure a formal UN designation have failed after opposition from three permanent members of the Security Council.