US blocks Pakistan-China bid to sanction Balochistan Liberation Army under UN 1267 regime
New Delhi: In a significant setback for Pakistan and China, the United States has officially blocked a Sino-Pak proposal to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade under the UN 1267 terror sanctions regime, saying there is no evidence linking the outfits to Al Qaeda or ISIL.
Washington's decision carries an important political message as it signals alignment with India's position on terror, easing concerns about any tilt towards Pakistan on such matters. Designation under the 1267 Al Qaeda and ISIL regime was a key element of Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's attempt to build a narrative portraying India as a sponsor of terrorism. Munir has already labelled Baloch groups as 'Fitna-al-Hindustan' within Pakistan.
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In the weeks following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, and after the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a foreign terrorist entity linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) last July, Rawalpindi lobbied hard through its newfound access to the Trump administration to persuade Washington to also proscribe the BLA and the Majeed Brigade. The US obliged within weeks and, buoyed by that success, Pakistan joined hands with China to push a proposal at the UN to designate the two entities as linked to Al Qaeda and ISIL.
India, however, with support from France, managed to get the US to place a 'technical hold' on the proposal as a permanent member of the UNSC - much like China has done with several Indian proposals to proscribe Pakistani terrorists - on the grounds that there was no clear linkage between the BLA and either Al Qaeda or ISIL. The hold was initially for six months and was later extended by another three months by the US.
ET has reliably learnt that the US has now firmed up its position and conveyed its decision to block the proposal as a permanent member of the Security Council. France and the UK, sources said, supported the US position, while Russia remained silent throughout the process, given its proximity to China.
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Washington's decision carries an important political message as it signals alignment with India's position on terror, easing concerns about any tilt towards Pakistan on such matters. Designation under the 1267 Al Qaeda and ISIL regime was a key element of Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's attempt to build a narrative portraying India as a sponsor of terrorism. Munir has already labelled Baloch groups as 'Fitna-al-Hindustan' within Pakistan.
Also Read: India lodges protest with Pakistan against 'Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly polls'
In the weeks following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, and after the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a foreign terrorist entity linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) last July, Rawalpindi lobbied hard through its newfound access to the Trump administration to persuade Washington to also proscribe the BLA and the Majeed Brigade. The US obliged within weeks and, buoyed by that success, Pakistan joined hands with China to push a proposal at the UN to designate the two entities as linked to Al Qaeda and ISIL.
India, however, with support from France, managed to get the US to place a 'technical hold' on the proposal as a permanent member of the UNSC - much like China has done with several Indian proposals to proscribe Pakistani terrorists - on the grounds that there was no clear linkage between the BLA and either Al Qaeda or ISIL. The hold was initially for six months and was later extended by another three months by the US.
ET has reliably learnt that the US has now firmed up its position and conveyed its decision to block the proposal as a permanent member of the Security Council. France and the UK, sources said, supported the US position, while Russia remained silent throughout the process, given its proximity to China.
Also Read: Pakistan discovers oil and gas well in Sindh that can produce 2000 barrels of oil per day
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