Designation of BLA as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Designation of BLA as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
The latest decision of the United States Department of State which designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and an alias name given to the group, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), is not merely a procedural act. As a matter of fact, it’s a sound recognition that Pakistan has been long held as the victim of externally planned terrorism. Such a move will strengthen the credibility of Pakistan in the international arena cementing its arguments. Likewise, it’s another diplomatic success in its capital campaign against extremist violence.
Pakistan has been under the long lasting aggressive policy of terrorism years. It has cost thousands of innocent lives, ruined communities, and hurt economic development. Most of this violence has been found to be linked to networks that are outside of the borders of Pakistan which are supplied with logistical, financial and ideological support by hostile foreign players. The US move portends a mounting international realization that terrorism in Pakistan is not a localized domestic trend, but it is a wider orchestrated approach by actors, who are state sponsored.
Exposing India’s Covert Sponsorship of Terrorism
The name also throws a clear light on the heavy Indian hand in fomenting violence in Balochistan via BLA and Majeed Brigade. In the last ten years, Pakistan had issued evidence time and again of India which trained, funded and gave shelter to separatist militants through its Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The revelations are not hypothetical as they feature testimonies, intercepted intelligence and marquee level captures, which can hardly create any doubts regarding the involvement of India.
Starting with training militants on Indian land to helping the injured terrorists with medical facilities even in the Indian hospitals, help in operation has been thorough and methodical.
This is to mention that some of the highest ranking Indian officials such as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval publicly alluded to their interest in Balochistan.
With such statements besides on ground evidence, it creates a devastating accession to the interference of India in the internal affairs of Pakistan.
The Majeed Brigade
Some of the deadliest attacks on Pakistan security agencies and Chinese nationals working on CPEC related projects have been conducted by the Majeed Brigade that is a suicide attack unit of BLA. The way its operations have been planned and accomplished, it could only indicate the sophisticated backing. The US is now at it saying that it will not under any circumstance tolerate terrorism especially when it tries to camouflage itself in political ambitions or the incident leading to its occurrence.
It is a designation that takes away the legitimacy of the propaganda attempt that tries to make people think of these groups as the freedom fighters. However, it outlines them as they are the mercenaries of the chaos being funded and armed to create instabilities in the name of peace and development of Pakistan.
Irrefutable Proof of India’s Regional Destabilization
The US action, although indirect, is a clear confirmation of what Pakistan provided on the evidence that the sponsoring of the BLA by India is a broader characteristic of regional interference from India. The example of India being allegedly involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada as well as their other secret operations in other countries presents an idea of consistency and violence as the instrument of foreign policy.
This has been the trend not only in Pakistan but also in other neighbours and thus sets a precedent that is quite dangerous in international relations.
The covert activities in India have had a destabilizing effect in the region and they have lowered the level of trust and triggered tensions in a volatile South Asian region. The designation of the FTO will give New Delhi a big message that Pakistan appliances will no longer be covered with diplomatic banners.
Pakistan’s Persistent Diplomatic Campaign Pays Off
The security agencies and diplomats of Pakistan have endeavoured to unveil the complicit in BLA and Indian intelligence. Pakistan has been proactive and relentless in that besides producing dossiers carefully weaved together and submitted to the United Nations, they are also vigilant in sharing intelligence that can be acted upon by allies.
When Kulbhushan Jadhav got arrested in 2016, this became the ultimate stumbling block and provided indisputable evidence of the espionage and subversive activities carried out by India. The testimony and the conditions in which Jadhav was caught turned out to be one of the main subjects of the Pakistani case against India. Pakistan has now scored a strong international point with the US following formal recognition of BLA and Majeed Brigade as terrorist entities.
A Step Toward Regional Stability
This appointing has the capacity to be a game changer in the context of regional security. By depriving the BLA and Majeed Brigade of any international funding and technical support establishments, these organizations will even have fewer opportunities to maintain operations. Moreover, by taking the step, the rest of the world is also being influenced to take such a step, and this acts as a tightening noose on the extremist outfits and their benefactors.
It is also a chance to strengthen further Pakistan as a responsible international player who can come forward and assure the world of peace and stability. It also fortifies the argument by the Pakistani authorities that India should be subjected to more international scrutiny of its actions not only in Balochistan but also in South Asia as such.
Vigilance and Diplomacy
Although this is a great win with the FTO designation, this is not the completion of the battle. Terrorist groups tend to move fast as they change their names, move their location and seek other sources of funding. Pakistan must be more alert and vigilant by continuing to track and foil such groups. Thereby, maintaining pressure on the diplomatic levels against states accruing such groups safety cover.
Concurrently, Islamabad ought to take advantage of this moving proceeding to drive an extensive discussion on state sponsored terrorism in international platforms. Pakistan can play its role in bringing an accountable and transparent international security order by pointing to the actions undertaken by India and the detrimental consequences of its actions.
The move by US to declare the BLA and Majeed Brigade as FTOs is the triumph of not only Pakistan diplomacy but also truth and justice. It bolsters the fact that terrorism is a crossroad phenomenon that needs to be collectively condemned and acted upon. To Pakistan, it is confirmation of decades of dogged efforts in diplomacy, solid intelligence efforts and in tirelessly protecting its sovereignty.
This is a good step to give Pakistan the strength to crack down more of the people who, in the pretext of political activism and insurgencies, are conducting proxy wars at the cost of innocent civilians. The need to do so is because Pakistan insists on being a frontline state in the fight against terrorism not only to its own citizens, but also to the stability and tranquillity of the entire region.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and do not reflect the official stance, policies, or perspectives of the Platform.
