In a marked departure from his earlier stance, Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has endorsed the US decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation, even as he distanced the outfit from its widely reported affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Speaking at an event in Washington, Dar said Pakistan had “no objection” to the US move and would welcome any evidence establishing TRF’s involvement in terror activities. He, however, rejected linking TRF to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based group that New Delhi has long accused of backing TRF’s operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is a sovereign decision of the U.S. to designate TRF. We have no issue. And we welcome, if they have any evidence, that they are involved,” Dar told reporters.
The minister’s remarks are in stark contrast with Pakistan’s earlier stance. In April, he had stated that Islamabad blocked the mention of TRF in the UNSC’s condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack. He had also said it was not right to link TRF to LeT, claiming the outfit was dismantled by Pakistan years ago. “Linking the TRF to the Lashkar-e-Taiba is wrong. That outfit was dismantled years ago by Pakistan. The actors were prosecuted, arrested and jailed, and the entire outfit was destroyed,” he added.
Earlier this month, the United States designated TRF as foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and specially designated global terrorist (SDGT). In a statement issued by US Secretary Marco Rubio it was stated that the Department of State is adding TRF as a designated FTO and SDGT. TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively.
India designated TRF a terrorist outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in January 2023. The group, which first surfaced in 2019, has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including targeted killings and grenade strikes over the years. TRF operates as a proxy for LeT to obscure the latter’s role in regional terrorism. Dar’s softened tone also coincides with Pakistan’s renewed efforts to reframe its global counter-terrorism narrative. During his ongoing eight-day visit to the US., Dar chaired several United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meetings under Pakistan’s rotating presidency and held talks with top American officials, including Rubio.
In a video released by a news agency, Dar and Rubio were seen shaking hands at the Department of State, with Pakistani officials later claiming that the US acknowledged Pakistan’s “sacrifices in the war on terror.”
The latest diplomatic engagement comes amid heightened security concerns in Pakistan, with the government urging social media platforms to block hundreds of accounts allegedly linked to banned
militant outfits like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry has accused these groups of using platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram to glorify violence and incite unrest. Pakistan’s shifting tone on terror designations also coincides with US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
In a closed-door meeting at the White House with Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Trump said he was “honoured” to host the general and claimed he had helped end the brief but tense military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India has, however, strongly refuted Trump’s assertions each time.