The designation comes as US President Donald Trump seeks closer ties with Pakistani government.The United States has upped pressure on the Pakistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), labelling it a “foreign terrorist” organisation.The designation, announced by the Department of State on Monday, comes after the BLA, which is also known as the Majeed Brigade, was designated a “specially designated global terrorist” (SDGT) organisation in 2019.The new designation is more severe and comes as US President Donald Trump has sought increased contacts with Pakistan’s government.In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move “demonstrates the 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 statement said.The BLA was designated as an SDGT following a series of attacks in 2019. More recently, in March this year, the secessionist group claimed responsibility for the siege of a train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, in which dozens of passengers and soldiers were killed.The new designation makes it a crime for anyone in the US to provide support to the group, while the previous designation only targeted financial resources.Balochistan is the largest but least populous and poorest province in Pakistan. The region has experienced at least five secessionist uprisings since Pakistan’s formation in 1947.The latest iteration began in the early 2000s, and has since broadened its focus from securing the province’s natural resources to full-fledged independence. Advertisement Supporters of the secessionist movement have alleged that Pakistan …
