Despite being designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in 2019, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) surprisingly evaded being labelled as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) until now. However, the US state department’s sudden interest in the rebel group, particularly its subsidiary Majeed Brigade, has raised eyebrows and sparked curiosity about possible motivations.The development comes close on the heels of US President Donald Trump announcing his plans to develop ‘massive oil reserves’ with Pakistan. The announcement attracted a response from Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch, who said that reserves of oil, natural gas, copper, lithium, uranium and rare earths were not located in actual Pakistan and belonged to “Republic of Balochistan”. Baloch wrote an open letter to Trump warning him that he was misled about “massive oil reserves” in Pakistan by army chief Asim Munir.The visits to Pakistan by Gentry Beach, a close college friend of President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr, have also piqued curiosity, with the latter seeing a potential to cut deals worth billions of dollars in explorations of rare earth minerals, oil and gas, and real estate. A recent deal that Pakistan negotiated with World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency venture in which the Trump family has a 60% stake, has also fuelled speculation.Though it had its roots founded in the 70s, the Majeed Brigade was a little-known entity until a decade ago. The brigade comprises fidayeen (suicide bombers) who have been fighting the Pakistan-China collaboration opposed to its freedom struggle. “It was in the 1970s that Abdul Majeed Baloch carried out a failed assassination bid on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former Pakistan PM who dismissed the National Awami Party’s govt in Balochistan,” recalled a source.However, it was in 2010-11 that the brigade was formally constituted in the memory of Abdul Majeed. Since then, the brigade has carried out numerous suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals working for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects in Balochistan and Sindh. The attacks have intensified since 2018. Their most lethal hit was on the Jaffar Express, in which BLA claimed it eliminated 214 Pak military personnel.
