Pakistan Acknowledges U.S. Terror Designation of TRF, but Disputes Lashkar-e-Taiba Link

 Washington, D.C. – In a marked shift from his earlier position, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has publicly endorsed the United States’ decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organization, while simultaneously rejecting any direct association between TRF and the proscribed Pakistan-based outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Speaking at a public event in Washington on Friday, Dar stated that Pakistan has “no objection” to the U.S. classification of TRF. “It is a sovereign decision of the United States to designate the TRF. We have no issue. And we welcome, if they have any evidence, that they are involved,” he remarked. However, he cautioned against linking the group directly with Lashkar-e-Taiba, calling such claims “wrong.”

Dar further clarified that while Pakistan respects the U.S. designation, it continues to seek more conclusive evidence regarding TRF’s operational role in terror activities. Responding to a query from Hindustan Times, he said there was insufficient proof at the time to support TRF’s inclusion in a United Nations Security Council statement.

The Resistance Front had claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. The group is widely believed by Indian intelligence agencies to be a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba, a view the Pakistani government appears reluctant to endorse without further proof.

India had designated TRF as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in January 2023.

According to data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal, TRF first emerged in 2019 through digital propaganda and has since been linked to numerous attacks in Jammu and Kashmir — including a grenade blast in Srinagar that injured seven civilians, and a series of targeted killings carried out in 2021.