Pakistan Reacts Sharply After US Designates The Resistance Front (TRF) as Terrorist Group, India Welcomes Move
In a significant escalation of global counter-terrorism efforts, the United States on Friday officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot and proxy of the banned Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (#LashkarETaiba), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
The move has triggered a strong reaction from Pakistan, which dismissed the action and reverted to its routine narrative of denial, obfuscation, and deflection by raising the Kashmir issue.
US Crackdown on Proxy Terror Network
The designation comes just weeks after TRF claimed responsibility for the brutal Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 civilians, mostly Indian and foreign tourists, were gunned down in cold blood. According to US officials, it was the deadliest terror attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were also carried out by operatives affiliated with # LashkarE-Taiba.
#PahalgamMassacre
#GlobalTerrorism
#IndiaUnderAttack
India had presented substantial, evidence-based intelligence linking the Pahalgam attack to TRF and its ideological and logistical roots within Lashkar-e-Taiba. The US move is widely seen as a recognition of those findings and an affirmation of India’s long-standing concerns about cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Predictable Denial and Rhetoric
Islamabad, however, responded with a familiar script, vehemently denying any link between the attack and its soil. In an official statement, Pakistan claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba is a “defunct organisation banned in Pakistan,” and argued that its government has already dismantled such outfits, arrested their leaders, and undertaken widespread deradicalisation efforts.
#PakistanDenial
#CrossBorderTerror
“Pakistan has effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalised its cadres,” the statement read.
Despite these claims, Pakistan again positioned itself as a “frontline state against terrorism”, portraying itself as a global contributor to peace and counter-terrorism—a narrative that stands at odds with international reports and repeated findings linking Pakistani soil to major terror attacks globally.
Moreover, Islamabad rejected what it called India’s attempt to “misuse international forums to defame Pakistan,” alleging that New Delhi was using the terror designation to serve its “propaganda” interests.
Kashmir Card Played Again
In yet another attempt to deflect criticism, Pakistan once again brought up the Kashmir dispute, accusing India of using counter-terrorism platforms to divert attention from its “irresponsible and rogue behaviour” in Jammu and Kashmir, referred to in the Pakistani statement as IIOJ&K (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir).
#KashmirNarrative
#DiplomaticDiversion
“India has a track record of exploiting such designations to push anti-Pakistan propaganda… to divert international attention from its ongoing human rights atrocities,” Pakistan claimed, without addressing the specifics of the Pahalgam attack or TRF’s activities.
Irony Amid Balochistan Unrest
Ironically, even as Pakistan criticises India and the United States, it has intensified diplomatic efforts urging action against the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)—a militant group that has carried out a series of deadly attacks against Pakistani security forces and installations in Balochistan. This contradiction has not gone unnoticed in international circles, where Pakistan’s selective approach to terrorism—condemning violence when it impacts itself while deflecting blame when accused—is increasingly under scrutiny.
#Balochistan
#SelectiveCondemnation
#DoubleStandards
Global Implications of the US Decision
The decision by the US State Department, announced by Secretary Marco Rubio, is expected to trigger further diplomatic and legal consequences. Notably, it could push the matter into the United Nations Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, a powerful platform for global terrorist designations and asset freezes.
#UNSanctions
#1267Committee
India has welcomed the move and is likely to use it as leverage to press for a broader international crackdown on TRF and its parent organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba.
However, a key variable remains: China, a permanent member of the UNSC, has historically acted as a shield for Pakistan when it comes to sanctioning terrorists with known ties to Pakistani intelligence and soil. Responding cautiously to the US decision, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated:
“China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability.”
