Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has officially designated the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and the Majid Brigade as terrorist organisations, thereby prohibiting their activities.
These groups had previously been linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch insurgents, respectively.
As reported by the Pakistani newspaper Dawn on Thursday, the inclusion of these groups has increased the total number of banned organisations on NACTA's terrorist list to 81. This year alone, three new groups have been added to this list.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, identified as a significant anti-Pakistan faction, was once considered a militant wing of the TTP. The group has been responsible for numerous deadly assaults against Pakistani security forces. Pakistani authorities assert that this group, along with the TTP, operates bases and training camps within Afghanistan.
The Majid Brigade, now recognised as an independent entity on NACTA's terrorist list, was formerly known as a formidable military wing of the Baloch Liberation Army. Since 2011, the group has been involved in numerous lethal attacks targeting the Pakistani military.
Earlier in March, NACTA also classified the Zainebiyoun Brigade—affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—as a terrorist organisation.
