Counterterrorism as Camouflage: How Washington Exploits Islamabad for Balochistan’s Riches Samvada World

U.S. designates BLA as Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO): The move aligns with Pakistan’s narrative, strengthens U.S.-Pakistan ties, and goes beyond counterterrorism by reshaping regional geopolitics.
Strategic interest in Balochistan’s resources: Washington eyes vast reserves of gold, copper, lithium, and rare earths, seeking to reduce dependence on China’s supply chains and secure minerals for defence and technology needs.
Countering China’s CPEC influence: By backing Pakistan and stabilising Balochistan, the U.S. challenges Beijing’s Belt and Road projects, directly undermining China’s hold over Gwadar and the economic corridor.
Diplomatic pressure on India: The designation reinforces Pakistan’s accusations against India, complicates New Delhi’s global advocacy on Balochistan, and signals shifting U.S. alliances in South Asia.

On August 11, 2025, the United States made a significant move in South Asian geopolitics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its elite Majeed Brigade had been recognised as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). This move marks a significant shift, building on the group’s earlier 2019 classification as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The BLA, which operates largely in the Pakistan-occupied Balochistan area and demands independence, has been accused by Islamabad of coordinating internal attacks.

However, this US decision extends beyond counterterrorism; it is linked to broader geopolitical objectives, including enhancing ties with Pakistan and countering China’s regional influence. On the surface, it addresses Pakistan’s long-standing desire for international recognition of the BLA as a terrorist organisation. Underneath, it allows the United States access to Balochistan’s natural wealth, opposes Chinese power in the region, and reshapes South Asian diplomatic balances.

Stymying the Baloch Freedom Movement

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest underdeveloped province. Its history is characterised by cycles of insurgency motivated by deep concerns about resource exploitation, systematic neglect, and repeated human rights violations. The province’s daily reality includes enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and repression. The BLA, founded in the early 2000s, has been one of the most conspicuous militant organisations campaigning for Baloch self-determination. It targets Pakistani security forces and foreign investments, particularly Chinese-led projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). For Islamabad, presenting the BLA as a terrorist organisation has been critical in delegitimising the separatist cause.

The FTO designation is fundamentally about pleasing Pakistan rather than combating terrorism. Under Trump, Washington has pursued tighter connections with Islamabad, as seen by his June 2025 lunch with Army Chief Asim Munir. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the move as counterterrorism, some see it as a capitulation to Pakistan, which has long labelled the BLA a terrorist organisation. This label criminalises support for the group in the US, restricting its funding and operations, and effectively bolsters Pakistan’s narrative against Baloch separatists.

Notably, the BLA has no recorded history of assaults outside Pakistan; instead, it has focused on supposed problems in Balochistan, such as resource exploitation and political marginalisation.

High-profile operations include the 2018 attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, the 2019 attack on the Pearl-Continental Hotel in Gwadar, and the 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express, which claimed 31 lives. The group’s targets are both symbolic and strategic, including Pakistani military sites, infrastructure, and foreign nationals involved in resource extraction. The United States’ classification, which criminalises support and freezes assets, appears disproportionate if assessed only by the BLA’s operational footprint.

The FTO label is less about neutralising a global threat and more about aligning with Pakistan’s domestic agenda, paving the way for foreign, primarily American, commercial enterprises in the region.

US Eyes on Balochistan’s Mineral Wealth

The US approach appears to be motivated primarily by the desire to exploit Balochistan’s immense natural and mineral resources, such as copper, gold, lithium, rare earths, and natural gas. The area is rich in rare earth minerals, oil and other important assets, which Pakistan is pitching to American companies as bilateral trade improves. The Reko Diq mine alone has vast reserves, including nearly 16 million ounces of gold and 27 billion pounds of copper. These stats are not only striking; they are strategic. In a period of resource scarcity and supply chain politics, owning such deposits means wielding power over global industries ranging from defence manufacturing to renewable energy.

For Washington, acquiring these resources serves two purposes. First, it reduces dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains, which currently dominate global rare earth production. Second, it assures that key resources are available for the United States’ military and technology needs. Recent trade conversations between the United States and Pakistan have hinted at further economic interaction. This narrative includes Trump’s public offer to help Pakistan exploit its oil riches. By designating the BLA as a terrorist organisation, the United States essentially communicates that it will assist in stabilising Balochistan, thus ensuring a safer environment for American investments in mining and oil.

U.S.–Pakistan Counterterrorism Alignment

Amidst all of this, the United States and Pakistan convened a new counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad just days after the FTO designation. According to the Pakistani foreign ministry, the two countries “pledged to deepen counterterrorism cooperation” and reaffirmed “their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms,” including threats from the BLA, Islamic State, and the Pakistani Taliban. The timing is telling: it is not merely rhetorical. It emphasises that the FTO designation is part of a larger effort to institutionalise U.S.-Pakistan cooperation against terrorist groups.

Countering China’s Grip on Pakistan and the Economic Corridor

The designation also fits into a US goal to decouple Pakistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) from Beijing’s control. The Belt and Road Initiative’s main project, CPEC, connects southwestern China to the Arabian Sea via Balochistan’s Gwadar port, providing China with tremendous economic influence. Instability in the province, including BLA attacks on Chinese facilities, has already hampered Beijing’s plans. The US intends to constrain China’s expansion by designating the BLA and signalling mining ambitions, while also justifying its own presence through security concerns. This might jeopardise the CPEC’s durability, especially given Pakistan’s debt issues and local dissatisfaction over perceived exploitation. If successful, this tactic will not only disrupt CPEC deadlines but also undermine one of China’s most strategically positioned assets. It is a unique situation in which US-Pakistan collaboration directly counteracts Beijing’s regional objectives.

Antagonising India and Targeting It on the Global Stage

This US turn has further antagonised India, which has long supported the Baloch cause owing to human rights concerns. New Delhi has addressed Balochistan’s difficulties in international forums, aligning with its democratic beliefs and responding to Pakistan’s allegations of Indian support for terrorists. Pakistan has long maintained that India funds and arms the BLA, which India rejects, instead encouraging Islamabad to fix its internal problems. The FTO designation reinforces Pakistan’s stance, potentially putting pressure on India in forums such as the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) over suspected involvement. This complicates India’s diplomatic stance, particularly since Baloch leaders have expressed support for India’s claims to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The BLA action shifts the scale further toward Islamabad, even as Washington attempts to strike a balance by identifying groups such as The Resistance Front, which India connects to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The BLA’s terrorist label is less about insurrection and more about resources, power struggles, and shifting alliances. For Pakistan, it justifies its security stance and offers investments. It provides the United States with access to minerals while also putting China on notice. For India, it serves as a warning that alliances are fluid, and only a clear strategy can protect its interests.

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