UN Must designate BLA as Global Terror Threat, Says Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri has called on the United Nations to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a global terrorist organization, arguing that the militant group exploits Balochistan’s poverty, recruits vulnerable youth, and poses a growing threat to regional and international security.
Writing in an opinion article titled “UN Must designate Global Terror Threat BLA,” the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senator said the BLA should not be viewed as a representative of the Baloch people but as an organized militant network that has weaponized the province’s longstanding socioeconomic challenges.
“The BLA does not represent Balochistan. It weaponises Balochistan’s deprivation,” she wrote.
BLA Exploits Poverty to Recruit Youth
Senator Zehri argued that Balochistan’s high levels of multidimensional poverty have created an environment that militant organizations exploit for recruitment.
She said the BLA targets young people, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 25, through encrypted online platforms, ideological messaging, and propaganda that glorifies violence.
According to the senator, recruits are often isolated from their families and persuaded that armed struggle is their only path, with some eventually becoming suicide bombers within the group’s Majeed Brigade.
She described these young recruits as victims rather than heroes, writing that they are “the children of Balochistan” whose futures are consumed by violence.
Rising Terrorist Violence in Balochistan
Citing data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal, Senator Zehri said militant groups carried out 938 attacks in Balochistan during 2024, representing a 53 percent increase over the previous year.
She wrote that fatalities rose by 80 percent, exceeding 1,000 deaths, while the BLA claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks.
As an example, she referred to the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express, during which at least 31 people were killed and more than 300 passengers were taken hostage.
She also highlighted the operational capabilities of the BLA’s Majeed Brigade, saying it conducted six suicide attacks within a year using a decentralized structure designed to withstand counterterrorism operations.
Calls for UN Terror Listing
The senator noted that the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have already designated the BLA under their domestic counterterrorism laws, with the United States also granting the group Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) status.
However, she argued that the absence of a UN Security Council designation limits international efforts to disrupt the group’s activities.
According to Zehri, a listing under the UN Security Council’s 1267 sanctions regime would enable stronger international cooperation by restricting financial networks, limiting the international movement of militant leaders and reducing operational space for the organization.
Regional and Global Security Concerns
Senator Zehri also argued that the BLA’s activities extend beyond Pakistan’s borders.
She referred to Pakistan’s longstanding allegations of external sponsorship, including claims linked to the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, and said growing tactical cooperation between the BLA and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has increased the regional security threat.
The senator warned that attacks on highways, railways, ports and energy infrastructure threaten not only Pakistan but also regional connectivity and major economic initiatives, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
She added that instability in Balochistan could also affect international interests because of the province’s significant reserves of copper, gold and rare-earth minerals.
Beyond Security Measures
While advocating stronger international counterterrorism action, Senator Zehri stressed that security measures alone would not resolve Balochistan’s challenges.
She called for governance reforms, political inclusion, economic development and greater investment in education and employment to address the conditions that militant organizations exploit.
“The people of Balochistan deserve peace, opportunity and dignity,” she argued, urging the international community to distinguish between the province’s legitimate grievances and the violence carried out by militant organizations.
According to Senator Zehri, the international community already possesses the legal mechanisms to respond to terrorism. The remaining question, she wrote, is whether there is sufficient political will to act.
