The United States praised Pakistan for its “continued successes” in tackling terrorist groups that threaten peace and security in the region and beyond. The comments came in a joint statement issued after the Pakistan–US Counter-Terrorism Dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday. “The United States applauded Pakistan’s continued successes to contain terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world,” the statement, shared by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, said.
Washington also offered condolences over lives lost in terror incidents in Pakistan. “The United States expressed condolences for the loss of civilians and members of law enforcement agencies in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including the barbaric Jaffar Express terrorist attack and the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar,” it added.
US lists BLA and Majeed Brigade as terror groups
The development came a day after Washington designated the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and its faction, the Majeed Brigade, as foreign terrorist organisations. The BLA, already proscribed in both the US and Pakistan, has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Pakistani state, demanding independence for Balochistan, a resource-rich province.
The US first listed the BLA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group in 2019 following a string of deadly attacks. “Since 2019, BLA has claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including by the Majeed Brigade,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Pakistan army chief meets US leadership
On Sunday, Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, travelled to Washington, his second visit since the four-day conflict with India. According to the statement, he held high-level meetings with senior US political and military officials, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora.