
In a significant development that underscores the global fight to combat terrorism, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This move, warmly welcomed by India, is both timely and justified. TRF, a known proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has played a central role in orchestrating violent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the heinous April 22, 2025, terror strike in Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent civilians, mostly tourists. The U.S. designation serves as an unambiguous acknowledgment of TRF’s true identity—as a rebranded offshoot of LeT, operating with the same ideology and goals, merely cloaked in new nomenclature. For years, Pakistan-based terror outfits have used such facades to escape international scrutiny, even as they continue to recruit, train, and arm operatives for cross-border attacks. The designation decisively tears through this façade and provides international legitimacy to India’s long-standing claims that groups like TRF are not indigenous movements, but tools in Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror machinery. The April 22 Pahalgam attack was not only an assault on civilians, but also a calculated attempt to destabilize our growing tourism economy and foster fear among the public. In the aftermath, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had clearly pointed toward Pakistan’s hand in the violence. Now, the U.S. move reinforces that assertion and calls upon the global community to take note—and action. This step will have practical consequences. The FTO and SDGT designations freeze any assets TRF may have under U.S. jurisdiction, criminalize material support to the group, and pave the way for greater intelligence sharing and financial monitoring between India, the U.S., and other like-minded nations. It is also a message to Pakistan that the international community is no longer willing to turn a blind eye to its dual game of appeasing the West while sheltering terrorist actors. At a time when we continue to deal with the complex challenge of terrorism especially in Kashmir, such global solidarity is critical. It signals that terrorism cannot be tolerated under any pretext—religious, political, or territorial—and that perpetrators and their sponsors will be held accountable. For our country, the designation of TRF is a diplomatic and strategic win. But more importantly, it is a victory for the families of the victims of the Pahalgam attack and for all those who seek peace and stability in the region. Now, it is important that the international community builds on this momentum and ensures sustained pressure on all nations including Pakistan for nurturing terrorism in any form.
In a significant development that underscores the global fight to combat terrorism, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). This move, warmly welcomed by India, is both timely and justified. TRF, a known proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has played a central role in orchestrating violent attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the heinous April 22, 2025, terror strike in Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent civilians, mostly tourists. The U.S. designation serves as an unambiguous acknowledgment of TRF’s true identity—as a rebranded offshoot of LeT, operating with the same ideology and goals, merely cloaked in new nomenclature. For years, Pakistan-based terror outfits have used such facades to escape international scrutiny, even as they continue to recruit, train, and arm operatives for cross-border attacks. The designation decisively tears through this façade and provides international legitimacy to India’s long-standing claims that groups like TRF are not indigenous movements, but tools in Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror machinery. The April 22 Pahalgam attack was not only an assault on civilians, but also a calculated attempt to destabilize our growing tourism economy and foster fear among the public. In the aftermath, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had clearly pointed toward Pakistan’s hand in the violence. Now, the U.S. move reinforces that assertion and calls upon the global community to take note—and action. This step will have practical consequences. The FTO and SDGT designations freeze any assets TRF may have under U.S. jurisdiction, criminalize material support to the group, and pave the way for greater intelligence sharing and financial monitoring between India, the U.S., and other like-minded nations. It is also a message to Pakistan that the international community is no longer willing to turn a blind eye to its dual game of appeasing the West while sheltering terrorist actors. At a time when we continue to deal with the complex challenge of terrorism especially in Kashmir, such global solidarity is critical. It signals that terrorism cannot be tolerated under any pretext—religious, political, or territorial—and that perpetrators and their sponsors will be held accountable. For our country, the designation of TRF is a diplomatic and strategic win. But more importantly, it is a victory for the families of the victims of the Pahalgam attack and for all those who seek peace and stability in the region. Now, it is important that the international community builds on this momentum and ensures sustained pressure on all nations including Pakistan for nurturing terrorism in any form.
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