In a significant breakdown, the US, United Kingdom, and France have blocked a joint Pakistan-China proposal to sanction the Balochistan Liberation Military (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade. It has been achieved underneath the United Nations Safety Council’s 1267 sanctions regime.
The three Western international locations argued that there was not sufficient proof to hyperlink the BLA or the Majeed Brigade with Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq and ISIL. The 1267 sanctions system, created via a 1999 UN Safety Council decision, permits for measures akin to journey bans, asset freezes, and arms restrictions in opposition to people or teams related to Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or ISIL.
US Already Declared BLA as Terror Group
Final month, Washington had declared each the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as Overseas Terrorist Organisations (FTOs). The BLA had earlier been listed by the US as a Specifically Designated International Terrorist (SDGT) group in 2019 after being linked to a number of lethal assaults. The Majeed Brigade, the BLA’s suicide squad, has claimed duty for a variety of high-profile bombings and assaults lately.
Issues Over Cross-Border Terrorism
Pakistan and China had submitted the joint proposal to the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee. Talking on the Safety Council, Pakistan’s Everlasting Consultant to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, burdened that teams like ISIL-Ok, Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the BLA, and the Majeed Brigade have been working from Afghanistan and finishing up cross-border assaults in opposition to Pakistan.
Terrorism from Afghanistan continues to be our main nationwide safety menace, Ambassador Ahmed stated. He urged the Taliban-led authorities in Kabul to honor its worldwide commitments to counter terrorism. He added that “Pakistan and China have collectively submitted to the 1267 Sanctions Committee a request to designate the BLA and Majeed Brigade. We hope the Council will act swiftly on this itemizing to curb their terrorist actions.”
Regardless of these calls, the transfer was blocked by the US, UK, and France. Their resolution highlighted a divide throughout the UN Safety Council on how one can deal with teams just like the BLA, which Islamabad considers as a direct menace to its stability.