In a shocking disclosure in the Pakistani Parliament, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar on Friday openly defended The Resistance Front (TRF), which has just been blacklisted by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
TRF, a Pakistani proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), took responsibility for the April 22 attack on Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the killing of 26 civilians, the worst attack on the Indian mainland since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Pakistan Confesses to Veto of TRF Reference at UN
In his address, Dar disclosed that Pakistan had moved at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to veto any reference to TRF in its formal denunciation of the Pahalgam massacre.
“We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I got calls from global capitals, but Pakistan will not accept. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed,” Dar stated.
Pak Deputy PM Ishaq Dar rejected TRF involvement in the Pahalgam attack and said :
‘Alhamdulillah we are the non permanent member of UNSC…..we don’t consider TRF as illegal…show the evidence that TRF has carried out the Pahalgam attack or show the ownership of TRF… We… pic.twitter.com/qLwDAC4zVy
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) July 18, 2025
The statement stunned analysts, especially since both India and the US have shared intelligence affirming TRF’s involvement in the April attack. In spite of TRF’s open claim of responsibility, Dar stood firm that Pakistan would never accept the group’s involvement.
“We don’t consider TRF illegal. Show us proof they carried out the Pahalgam attack. Show ownership by TRF. We won’t accept the allegation, and TRF had to be deleted from the UN press release,” he stated.
US Responds With Designation, Sanctions
Soon after Dar’s address, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reaffirmed Washington’s stance regarding TRF’s terrorist designation. The US imposed economic sanctions and prohibited the group’s access to assets under its jurisdiction.
“TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians,” the State Department stated.
“These actions demonstrate the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests and seeking justice for victims of terrorism,” Rubio said.
He again referred to the Pahalgam attack as “the deadliest attack on civilians in India since 2008,” squarely blaming TRF and its handlers in Pakistan.
India Welcomes US Move, Slams Denial
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received the US designation and termed it a strong step for counter-terrorism cooperation between the two nations.
A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.
Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF—a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the…
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 18, 2025
“Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism,” Jaishankar tweeted on X.
India continues to urge international accountability against terror surrogates used from across the border and has pressed for listing TRF by the United Nations.
