Latest news with #NabeelMunir
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
US-Pakistan ‘counter-terrorism' dialogue: A cover to suppress Baloch movement
The US, apparently the world's most powerful democracy, entirely ignores the fact that it is the Pakistani practices that are fuelling the Baloch insurgency. (Image: X@BalochYakjehtiC) If you want to collapse in shock, read the latest gem from the US-Pakistan dialogue. This one is on counterterrorism and lauds Pakistan's actions in such laudatory terms as to make any intelligence officer of any country feel sick. Regardless of reality, it seems Trump's United States is on a headlong path against India and, worse, against logic. It might be an attempt to wean the country away from China and drag it firmly into the US camp, or it could be just petty point scoring. Whatever the motives, the news is not good. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US-Pakistan Counterterrorism Dialogue Consider the Joint Statement, which says, 'Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and applauded Pakistan's continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world'. There's worse. The US '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'. There is nothing to indicate that the Jaffar bus attack killed innocent civilians, but the BLA did kill security forces and their colleagues in intelligence. True also, that the school bus attack in May 2025 was particularly horrifying. But the BLA is the last group ever to do such an attack on their own. It would set the Baloch against them, and they know it. Pakistan's agencies are not below killing their own or even the Chinese. Remember the attack on the latter at Dasu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last year that killed five Chinese travelling to a power project site? That was blamed on the Pakistanis themselves, to get Beijing to put pressure on Afghanistan on the TTP. And it worked. That's exactly what China did, pressuring Kabul to mend relations with Islamabad on May 21st post Sindoor, in an 'informal' trilateral interaction. Targeting Baloch Now it's the turn of the US. Its intelligence agencies are well aware of the fact that the Baloch have never ever targeted the US, not even when its logistics lines were going through their land to fight the mujahideen or later the Taliban. In fact, the odd reality is that the Majeed Brigade, now officially designated as a terrorist group, have only attacked the Chinese relentlessly for poaching on their land at the behest of the 'Punjabis'. Logic demands that the US should quietly give them a hand against their sworn competitor. But it seems not to be. The farcical nature of the whole joint statement is apparent from the fact that the Pakistani signatory was Nabeel Munir, Special Secretary to the United Nations. Not a single Pakistani counter-terrorism official or anyone from the Interior Ministry. Last year's dialogue also had similar representation but was far less laudatory and more matter-of-fact. It also noted US training of Pakistani personnel on counterterrorism. Most importantly, the 2024 statement made no mention of the BLA, though it was designated as a terrorist group in 2019. This time the focus is almost entirely on it, with the TTP just an add-on. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Accommodation of Pakistan's Balochistan Narrative by the US That is a worrying slide in policy, accommodating Pakistan's frequent complaints of Indian backing of the Baloch resistance. The one and only 'evidence' that Rawalpindi claims is the arrest of former navy officer Kulbushan Jadhav, who was kidnapped from Iran and brought into Pakistan and made to 'confess' to various sins. Compare this to the available data on Pakistanis not in prison for terrorist activities, drug running and the like, but the hundreds of protests and agitations organised every year on 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' or on any pretext whatsoever on Kashmir. There has yet to be a single protest in India on Balochistan. The Indian public is largely ignorant of the serious Baloch crisis which has been brewing since Pakistan's independence, with rebellion after rebellion leading to the kidnapping, torture and deaths of thousands. That includes entirely peaceful protestors like the charismatic Mehrang Baloch, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and now languishing in prison — with no access allowed to her family — and others like Mama Qadeer, leader of the 'Voice of Baloch', nominated for the Nelson Mandela peace award. Others, including their family members, lie incarcerated too. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yet, the US, apparently the world's most powerful democracy, entirely ignores the fact that it is such Pakistani practices that are fuelling the Baloch insurgency. Even if a foreign power is training fighters, it cannot, by any stretch of the imagination or even with the largest purse, create the groundswell of support for the fighters among ordinary people. Also Baloch insurgency has turned a page. It is no longer a platform for the somewhat elite tribal leaders. BLA fighters are heavily part of student organisations and carry those ideals with them that lie with the youth. Shari Baloch, the first female suicide bomber, was an academic with an degree. An additional point the US agencies would obviously know. There is not a shred of obscurantism or extremism about the BLA. US Motivation and Further The question that then arises is US motivation for this unalloyed public support, with the State Department spokesperson reiterating the important role played by the US in ending the conflict while then referring to the US–Pakistan counterterrorism dialogue. But the curious part is that there isn't very much else. No great US financial largesse has come in. The F-16 package of $397 million is a technical package that also prevents these aircraft from being used against India. Neither have there been any weapons commitments — yet. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistan gets almost its entire weaponry from China, but it is parity with India that Pakistan craves, now that the Terrorist Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was designated by the US recently. There is another important aspect. It might also mean that US Central Command is legally free to act against BLA—at least with intelligence—much as it used its drones to kill TTP leaders, on Pakistan's urging. This is dangerous stuff. Meanwhile, the designation benefits China in multiple ways. As a commentator says, it will secure Chinese projects and deal a blow to India. The hope among Pakistanis and Chinese is that Trump will mention—at the very least—that India is a state sponsor of terrorism. It could happen. So far it seems this is a personal grudge held by Trump against India because Delhi refuses to recognise a US role in ending the recent conflict or accept mediation. The latter is non-negotiable, and the State Department bureaucracy probably understands that. The former is a different thing altogether. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Delhi could acknowledge that Islamabad—as expected—went running to the US the moment it faced serious damage to its installations. That has been true for almost every single conflict between the two. India should also have anticipated the Trump offer of mediation, given that he offered this to an exuberant Imran Khan in 2019. Pakistan took advantage of that. India got the 'bad guy' image again, as Rawalpindi knew it would. Time to change corners, as it's going to be the Baloch who will suffer. Acknowledge the historical truth of the Pakistan army using the US for its own mischievous ends. On no account must Islamabad be rewarded with 'mediation', simply because there is nothing to mediate. Especially since it has yet to detain or even mildly shake its finger at the many terrorists within its soil. Meanwhile, it's time to name and shame. Get each terrorist into the limelight through media and diplomacy. Ramp up the terrorist dialogue. As the late strategic affairs analyst K Subramanyam used to say, even if one person listens, that's good enough. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The author is Director (R&A) at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She tweets @kartha_tara. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
US, Pak to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups
Pakistan and the US have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban. It transpired during their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, a day after the US designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary for the UN, and Gregory D. LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in "all its forms and manifestations". Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, it stated. Reaffirming the "long-standing partnership" between Pakistan and the US, both sides stressed that "sustained and structured engagement" is vital to countering terrorism and promoting peace and stability. The US applauded Pakistan's "continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world". Both delegations emphasised the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. They also reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to "promote effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism". The BLA was blacklisted in 2019 following a string of deadly attacks in Pakistan but it has continued terrorist activities, including taking credit for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express this year. Pakistan had blamed India for allegedly supporting the BLA. Pakistan and the US ties have markedly improved in recent months, as witnessed by back-to-back visits of Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the US and having high profile interaction, including with President Donald Trump.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.S., Pakistan to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading terrorist groups
Pakistan and the U.S. have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan and the Taliban. It transpired during their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), a day after the U.S. designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary for the U.N., and Gregory D. LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in "all its forms and manifestations". 'Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,' it stated. Reaffirming the "long-standing partnership" between Pakistan and the U.S., both sides stressed that "sustained and structured engagement" is vital to countering terrorism and promoting peace and stability. The U.S. applauded Pakistan's "continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world". Both delegations emphasised the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. They also reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to "promote effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism". The BLA was blacklisted in 2019 following a string of deadly attacks in Pakistan but it has continued terrorist activities, including taking credit for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express this year. Pakistan had blamed India for allegedly supporting the BLA. Pakistan and the U.S. ties have markedly improved in recent months, as witnessed by back-to-back visits of Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the US and having high profile interaction, including with President Donald Trump.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
US, Pak to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups
Islamabad, Aug 13 (PTI) Pakistan and the US have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to tackle leading militant groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), ISIS-Khorasan, and the Taliban. It transpired during their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, a day after the US designated the Pakistan-based BLA a Foreign Terrorist Organisation. The dialogue was co-chaired by Nabeel Munir, Pakistan's Special Secretary for the UN, and Gregory D. LoGerfo, the Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism at the US Department of State. According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism in 'all its forms and manifestations". 'Both delegations underscored the critical importance of developing effective approaches to terrorist threats, including those posed by Balochistan Liberation Army, ISIS-Khorasan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan," it stated. Reaffirming the 'long-standing partnership" between Pakistan and the US, both sides stressed that 'sustained and structured engagement" is vital to countering terrorism and promoting peace and stability. The US applauded Pakistan's 'continued successes in containing terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world". Both delegations emphasised the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes. They also reaffirmed their intention to work closely in multilateral fora, including the United Nations, to 'promote effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism". The BLA was blacklisted in 2019 following a string of deadly attacks in Pakistan but it has continued terrorist activities, including taking credit for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express this year. Pakistan had blamed India for allegedly supporting the BLA. Pakistan and the US ties have markedly improved in recent months, as witnessed by back-to-back visits of Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to the US and having high profile interaction, including with President Donald Trump. PTI SH GRS ZH GRS GRS view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Islamabad hosts Pak-US counterterrorism talks as both sides vow to tackle new militant tactics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to combating militancy and addressing new security threats during a joint counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, the Pakistani foreign office said. The talks, co-chaired by Pakistan's Special Secretary for the United Nations Nabeel Munir and the US Department of State's Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory D. LoGerfo, covered strategies to counter militant groups and adapt to emerging security challenges such as the use of new technologies by non-state actors. The latest meeting was the third counterterrorism dialogue in less than two years, following sessions in May 2024 and March 2023, signaling a renewed phase in joint efforts to counter both traditional militant threats and emerging, technology-driven dangers posed by non-state actors. 'Both delegations emphasized the importance of building stronger institutional frameworks and developing capabilities to respond to security challenges and to counter the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes,' the foreign office said in a joint statement after the talks. '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 discussions focused on groups such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Daesh's Khorasan chapter, and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The BLA separatist group, which claimed last year's hijacking of a train in Pakistan's southwestern mountains in which 31 soldiers, staff and civilians were killed, was designated a 'foreign terrorist organization' by Washington on Monday, alongside its Majeed Brigade special operations unit, a move aimed at restricting their funding and support networks. In recent months, Pakistan has reported the use of commercial drones by TTP militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to attack security forces and civilian targets, marking a dangerous shift in militant tactics. At the Islamabad talks, both countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in multilateral forums, including the United Nations, to promote 'effective and enduring approaches to counterterrorism.' Following the dialogue, LoGerfo met Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who 'encouraged sustained and structured bilateral engagement on counterterrorism between both countries, as a vital contributor to peace and stability in the region and beyond,' the statement added. Pakistan and the US have a long, complex history of security cooperation, particularly during the US-led 'War on Terror' after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when Islamabad was a key partner in military operations in Afghanistan. In the years since, relations have repeatedly been strained over terrorism and security issues, and were particularly bad during the last government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who publicly accused Washington of working with his political opponents and the military to remove him from office — a charge all three deny. Under the current US President Donald Trump administration, ties have warmed again, with both sides signaling a renewed willingness to deepen military, counterterrorism and economic cooperation.
