In a major blow to Pakistan and a moral victory for India, the United States has officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. The TRF is a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The move comes in the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. This gesture of diplomatic goodwill is expected to give a significant impetus to India-US ties and intensify global pressure on Pakistan to act against terror networks operating from its soil.
Secretary of State’s firm statement
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision in a statement on July 17. He said the designation is in line with President Donald Trump’s call for justice for the victims of the Pahalgam massacre.
Rubio added that TRF and its aliases have now been added to Lashkar-e-Taiba’s listing under the Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) category, as per Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It has also been classified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224.
Indian action and international response
Post the Pahalgam terror attack, New Delhi launched its military retaliation, Operation Sindoor, on May 7. The operation targeted nine terror bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Subsequently, Indian delegations travelled to 33 global capitals, including Washington DC, later in May. This was India’s diplomatic push to highlight Pakistan’s continued support for terror groups operating in the region.
Speaking about the Pahalgam attack, Rubio underlined that this was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, adding that TRF had also taken responsibility for strikes on Indian forces in 2024.
Sajjad Gul is the key conspirator: New Delhi
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named TRF leader Sheikh Sajjad Gul as the mastermind behind the Pahalgam attack. Though TRF initially claimed responsibility, it later retracted the statement as diplomatic tensions rose between India and Pakistan.
