'Show us proof...': Pakistan supports terror outfit TRF after US calls it Lashkar 'proxy,' says THIS about Pahalgam attack

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has openly defended ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF) - which was recently designated a terror outfit by the United States. Speaking at the Pakistani parliament, Dar repeated that due to Pakistan's intervention, TRF's mention from the UNSC statement for the Pahalgam terror attack was removed. He further said that Pakistan does not consider the TRF illegal and asked for proof that it carried out the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

"We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I got calls from global capitals, but Pakistan will not accept," Dar said. "TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed." "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 added. Dar's statement comes even as TRF publically took responsibility for the terror attack and has now been designated as a terror outfit by the United States' State Department.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that TRF would be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), and would face financial sanctions, restricting its access to support from individuals and entities under American jurisdiction. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed the US decision and termed the move "strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation."

"TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians," the State Department said. “TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024.”

How Pak got TRF's name dropped from UN statement

Back in April this year, Dar revealed that Islamabad used its position as a non-permanent member of the UNSC to alter the language in the US-proposed statement, which originally named and shamed TRF. "On behalf of Pakistan, I had two objections [to the statement]. First, only Pahalgam was mentioned and secondly, the blame was put on The Resistance Forum," Dar said. "I thought this was not acceptable. You have to write Jammu and Kashmir along with Pahalgam." He added, " I gave clear instructions to our ambassador at the UN to ensure the amendments are made," he said. According to Dar, the process to finalise the statement took 2.5 days as Pakistan refused to accept the initial draft. "I received phone calls from big capitals to come to a consensus on the draft, but I told them nothing doing," he said. Ultimately, Pakistan’s objections were reflected in the final press statement issued by the UNSC.

UNSC statement that Dar spoke about

The UNSC condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, underlining the need to hold the perpetrators, organisers and the sponsors of "this reprehensible act of terrorism" accountable and bring them to justice. "The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, during which at least 26 people were killed and many more injured," it said in the press statement. The 15 members reiterated that any acts of terrorism were criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat, by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.