Pakistan and the United States undertook on Tuesday to deepen cooperation against terrorism, with a renewed emphasis on the fight against prohibited terrorist groups, including the Balutchistan Liberation Army (Bla), the Islamic State (ISIS) -Khorasan and the Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). But what was significant in the joint declaration published after the last cycle of dialogue to combat terrorism organized in Islamabad was that it was for the first time that the United States agreed to work with Pakistan to fight against groups such as the BLA prohibited. The two countries regularly hold a dialogue against terrorism, but never before the joint declaration mentioning terrorist groups such as BLA. The latest decision highlights the growing security and control cooperation between the two countries. He came a day after the US State Department officially appointed Bla and his suicide Squad, Majeed Brigade, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Development is considered a major diplomatic victory for Pakistan at a time when India openly supports terrorist groups, including BLA to create instability in Balutchistan. The State Department said on Monday that it also added the major brigade as an alias to the existing list of the global terrorist (SDGT) of BLA, imposed for the first time in 2019. The last designation will take effect during the publication in the Federal Register. “Today’s action demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to counter terrorism,” said the State Department, adding that such designations “play an essential role” in the restriction of support and resources for terrorist activity. The Bla was put on black list in 2019 following a series of fatal attacks in Pakistan. Since then, the group has continued to target civilians and security forces, often using the major brigade to carry out high -level suicide missions. In 2024, the Bla claimed the responsibility of suicide attacks near Karachi airport and the Gwadar port complex. This year, he said that the diversion of the Jaffar Express, which killed 31 people, including security personnel, and saw more than 300 passengers held hostage. The other culmination of the joint declaration published on Tuesday was that the United States, unlike the Indian allegations, praised Pakistan’s continuous successes to contain terrorist entities which constituted a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world. According to the observers, this clearly said that the United States was not ready to buy the Indian story that Pakistan was behind the Pahalgam attack on April 22. The joint declaration said that Pakistan and the United States have reaffirmed their common commitment to fight terrorism in all its forms and demonstrations. According to the joint declaration, the dialogue was co-chaired by the Special Secretary of the United Nations, Nabeel Munnir and the acting coordinator of the US State Department for counter-terrorism Gregory D Logerfo. “The two delegations stressed the crucial importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, especially those posed by the Balutchistan Liberation Army, Isis-Khorasan and Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan,” the statement said. The United States has applauded the continuous success of Pakistan to contain terrorist entities that threaten the peace and security of the region and the world. In addition, the United States has expressed condolences for the loss of civilians and law members in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including the terrorist attack by Barbaric Jaffar Express and the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar. The two delegations highlighted the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capacities to meet safety challenges and counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. The two parties reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to promote effective and lasting approaches to counter-terrorism. By reaffirming the long-standing partnership between Pakistan and the United States, the two parties stressed that the sustained and structured commitment remains vital to counter terrorism and promoting peace and stability. Pakistan and American counter-terrorism saw a surge renewed since President Donald Trump took office for his second term. Since then, the relationship has been on the ascending trajectory with high -level exchanges and frequent visits. This year, Pakistan, acting on American intelligence, stopped and extradited one of the brains of the attack on Kabul Airport in August 2021. This aid led President Trump to rent Pakistan in his first speech at the American Congress.
New Pak-Us Front against Terror Trains Sights on Bla, TTP
