Quetta, Aug 15 (NVI) Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) today was dismissive about the recent decision by the United States to designate Majeed Brigade, a special unit of the outfit, as a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’, saying it is not surprised and neither “obliged” to justify its genuine struggle for freedom of Balochistan from Pakistani occupation.
“The allegations put forward by the US echo the same narrative that Pakistan has used as propaganda for decades,” the BLA said in its reaction to the Trump Administration’s decision announced soon after Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Washington and met some senior officials there.
Asserting that BLA will continue to fight until all occupational forces of Pakistan leave Balochistan, its spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said, “Criminalizing a 75-year-old indigenous resistance waged on our own soil does not represent international justice.”
“The recent decision by the United States to list the Majeed Brigade, a special unit of the Baloch Liberation Army, as a foreign terrorist organization is a tacit endorsement of the colonial narrative and a denial of ground realities by an international power. We neither see this decision with surprise nor feel any new pressure,” the spokesman said in a statement.
“BLA is a resistance force, active solely against the military domination of the occupying (Pakistani) state, and is committed to the liberation of its occupied motherland,” he said.
“We promise our nation that the BLA will never back down from its ideological, military and revolutionary responsibility. We will not let state narratives, international labels or any global decision become a wall in our path. We will continue our fight until Baloch national independence and sovereignty are achieved,” Jeeyand Baloch said.
“Our war will continue until the last (Pakistani) soldier occupying our land remains. We know when a nation is deprived of its land, its identity, its language and its resources, every individual becomes a fidayeen (suicide attacker). Today, every conscious Baloch in Balochistan is a fidayeen. This war is not just about guns, it is a war of consciousness, sacrifice and collective self-respect,” he said.
The spokesman pointed out that Pakistan had occupied Balochistan in 1948 by military force and “The BLA is a continuation of the resistance that began that very day. We are not a passing political reaction, but a historical, national and defensive reality.”
Describing his outfit as “the armed embodiment of Baloch national pride, which does not require external validation or any international certification”, Jeeyand said, “The BLA is an organized military force conducting all operations in strict compliance with these standards, which define the rights of combatants and the protection of civilians.”
The spokesman insisted that “we operate under the rules of war as defined in international humanitarian law, specifically Common Article III of the Geneva Conventions. We have consistently adhered to these principles, and non-state resistance movements worldwide have received moral, legal and political recognition under the same framework.”
He maintained that “all BLA operations are directed against the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence networks, death squads and their collaborator gangs within Balochistan.”
Underlining that “Our struggle is for our motherland—the land of our ancestors—seized from us by force”, the BLA spokesman said, “We are not opposed to the people of Pakistan, nor to any world power. Our arms are raised solely against the occupier, whoever that may be and will remain so until the occupation ends.”
He underscored that “Targeting civilians is not part of our manifesto” but “at the same time, we make it clear that we are under no obligation to justify the nature of our struggle to anyone, nor will we conform to any narrative that serves state interests.”
He said, “We are aware that security, treaties and geopolitical interests shape US policy. We recognize this reality, yet we also know that such designations often reflect political balancing rather than justice on the ground. We do not regard these lists as legal or moral authority.”
Jeeyand Baloch underlined that BLA is “not the name of a temporary political reaction or a limited group uprising, but a historical, national and defensive reality. The BLA is an armed expression of Baloch national pride that does not need any external confirmation or international certificate.”
Emphasising that “We view our struggle under the principles of international humanitarian law,” the spokesman said, “The BLA is an organized military force, which meets all the criteria of a “non-international armed conflict”, as set out in Common Article Three of the Geneva Conventions. Within this framework, the rules of war, the rights of combatants, and the protection of civilians are set out. We have always bound ourselves to these principles.
“There are examples around the world where non-state resistance movements have been given moral, legal and political status under these laws.”
He said all the operations of BLA inside Balochistan are against the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, intelligence networks, death squads and their supporting groups.
“Our war is a war for land; the land that belonged to our ancestors, and which was snatched from us by the power of the gun. We are not against the people of Pakistan, nor against any world power. Our gun is raised only against the power that occupies our land, and whoever the occupier is, our gun will be raised in the same way,” he said.
“We are a non-state force that stands up for the protection of its people against the occupier. If resistance to state oppression, genocide, and slavery is permissible anywhere in the world, then Balochistan cannot be an exception to this principle,” he said.
The BLA spokesman highlighted that “this decision by the US comes at a time when the valuable mineral reserves of Balochistan have become the focus of attention of global capitalist interests” and “Pakistan is offering these reserves to foreign companies, and plans are being made to turn Balochistan into a silent economic colony.”
He added, “At a time when a national resistance is obstructing these projects, it is not surprising that it is being declared illegal on the international level. We understand this situation, and we align ourselves with this understanding.”
Inviting “the world to come to Balochistan to see what is happening on our land”, the spokesman said, “Let them see for themselves the mass graves in which our young men are buried. Let them look into the eyes of mothers whose sons have been missing for years.
Let them see the cities where speech is forbi”dden, and the villages where military operations are carried out in the dark of night. And then decide whether, if an organized resistance arises against all this, will it be called terrorism, or will it be an argument for being human?”
He said the United States and the international community “must recognize the fundamental fact that the Baloch nation and its revolutionary resistance are inherently closer to those global powers that believe in justice, stability, and principled partnership.”
He noted that “the BLA is a resistance organization that believes in a structured national thought, free from religious extremism, and respectful relations with the world. In contrast, Pakistan has violated every international principle on which the partnership of civilized nations is based in its history.”
He said the past is a witness that Pakistan has repeatedly disregarded its agreements, promises, and trust for self-interest, and this approach presents it to the world as an unreliable state.
“If the United States wants to lay the foundation for real stability, relations in accordance with ground realities, and sustainable interests in the region, it must recognize its natural allies.
“The Baloch nation, which has a modern, resistant, and principled disposition, and the Baloch Liberation Army, which is only in the field for the freedom and justice of its homeland, are the forces whose strengthening can guarantee any lasting peace and principled balance in this region.” (NVI)
