ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday hailed the US decision to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing, the Majeed Brigade, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), a move seen as reinforcing Islamabad’s own counterterrorism efforts and signalling renewed security alignment between the two countries.The US state department had announced the designation on Monday, adding the Majeed Brigade as an alias of the BLA and expanding sanctions, travel bans, and legal penalties for supporters. The decision imposes sweeping sanctions and is seen as underscoring a rare moment of US-Pakistan security alignment, arriving just as army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir engages in high-level talks in Washington.Pakistan’s foreign office said it outlawed the BLA in 2006 and banned the Majeed Brigade on July 18, 2024. Both have been blamed for “heinous” acts, including the March 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking, which killed more than 30 people, and the Khuzdar bus bombing, which claimed dozens of civilian lives.The US move came as Munir made his second high-level visit to Washington in two months, sparking speculation over expanded cooperation on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, and regional stability.Security analysts say the designation reflects converging US-Pakistan interests in Balochistan, a province rich in minerals and home to the strategic Gwadar port. The BLA and Majeed Brigade have repeatedly targeted Chinese nationals, infrastructure, and projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in an attempt to derail investment and development.Pakistan has intensified military operations in Balochistan in recent months, killing more than 50 suspected militants linked to BLA splinter groups in Zhob, Kech, and Gwadar. Officials believe US backing will help choke off funding, disrupt safe havens, and counter online propaganda.For Islamabad, the US designation is more than a symbolic victory, it is a strategic opportunity to align international action with domestic priorities in its decades-long battle against insurgency.