97 percent of cigarette retailers in Pakistan never contacted by tax officials — study 

KARACHI: The United States (US) is designating the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group active in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, as a “foreign terrorist organization,” the State Department said on Monday.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government officials and installations and people from other provinces.

The BLA, which also uses the alias of ‘The Majeed Brigade,’ is the most prominent of separatist groups in Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to key China-led infrastructure projects, including a port and a gold-copper mine.

In March, the group claimed responsibility for the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding hostage over 300 train passengers. In 2024, it claimed suicide attacks on Chinese nationals in Karachi and Gwadar.

“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quoted as saying by the State Department.

“Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities.”

The foreign terrorist organization designation by the US triggers restrictions on providing financial support and other aid to the group.

The US designation of the BLA comes amid a spike in militant violence in Pakistan’s Balochistan, which Islamabad has blamed on India and Afghanistan. New Delhi and Kabul deny the allegation.

On Monday, Pakistan Railways suspended all train services to and from the insurgency-hit southwestern province for four days after separatists blew up a railway track, derailing six cars of the Jaffar Express train, officials said. The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, which came as Pakistan prepares to mark its 79th Independence Day on Aug. 14.

Separatist groups operating in the mineral-rich region accuse the central government of stealing their resources to fund development elsewhere in the country. The federal government denies the allegations and says it is working for the uplift of local communities in Balochistan.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Monday rejected Indian allegations of “sabre rattling” as misleading, promising a “matching response” to any aggression by New Delhi.

India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) accused Pakistan of “sabre rattling” and “irresponsibility” after media reports on remarks about nuclear threats in South Asia made by Pakistan’s army chief while on a visit to the United States (US).

Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir was said to have made the remarks at a black-tie dinner hosted by a Pakistani-origin businessman in Florida on Saturday, where he spoke to a crowd of more than 100 people.

An excerpt of his speech shared by Pakistani security officials did not include such remarks, while the foreign office in Islamabad said the Indian MEA’s statement was yet another demonstration of their “chronic tendency to distorting facts and twisting statements out of context.”

“The Indian narrative of an alleged ‘nuclear blackmail’ is a misleading and self-serving construct,” it said in a statement. “Pakistan remains firmly opposed to the use or threat of use of force. India’s sabre rattling and war mongering, whenever confronted, invite unfounded allegations bereft of rationality.”

India and Pakistan both possess nuclear weapons and fought their deadliest battle in decades in May, sparked by an attack on tourists the previous month in Indian-administer Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians.

“Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of India’s MEA, said, adding that it was regrettable that the reported remarks have been made while in a friendly third country.

“The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks.”

In a version of the speech shared by Pakistani security officials, Munir said: “The (Indian) aggression has brought the region to the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where a bilateral conflict due to any miscalculation will be a grave mistake.”

The Pakistani army chief was on a visit to the US to attend a farewell event for General Michael Kurilla, the 15th commander of the United States Central Command. India previously lodged a private diplomatic protest with Washington when President Donald Trump hosted Munir for a lunch at the White House in June.

In its statement on Monday, the foreign office said Pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state with an elaborate command and control structure under full civilian control, and it has always exercised discipline and restraint while dealing with the issues of such importance.

“The Indian MEA’s spurious insinuations are irresponsible and without a shred of evidence,” it said. “We also note with concern a pointless reference to the third countries, in a bid to exert pressure on Pakistan. This not only reflects India’s lack of diplomatic confidence but also constitutes a futile attempt to unnecessarily involve other countries.”

Some analysts believe that India’s disagreement with Washington over the May 10 ceasefire with Pakistan, and Trump’s renewed engagement with Islamabad, have contributed to a recent setback in ties between New Delhi and Washington under the Trump administration.

Pakistan shall continue to act as a responsible member of the comity of nations, its foreign office reiterated.

“However, any act of Indian aggression or violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be met with an immediate and matching response,” it said. “The onus of any ensuing escalation will rest squarely with the Indian leadership.”