Pakistan's hypocrisy EXPOSED: Ishaq Dar once blocked mention of Lashkar backed TRF in UNSC statement

In a big win for India, the US on Thursday (July 17) designated The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and group responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, as a global terrorist organisation. This is yet another example when Pakistan stands exposed in front of the world and India stands victorious in its attempt to sideline the neighbouring country for its support for terror groups on its soil. The TRF, which claimed responsibility for the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in India's Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year, was protected by the top leaders of the Pakistani government. Not long ago, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar pushed to omit TRF's mention from a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) press statement.

How Pak got TRF's name dropped from UN statement

Back in April this year, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, while speaking in Pakistan’s National Assembly, 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, using an alternate name for TRF. "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.

India's proof against TRF

In an Operation Sindoor press briefing, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India in the half-yearly report to the monitoring team of the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024, had given inputs about TRF. "A group calling itself ‘The Resistance Front’ has claimed responsibility for the attack. This group is a front for the UN-proscribed Pakistani terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba," Misri said. He further informed that in December 2023, India had informed the monitoring team about Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through small terror groups such as the TRF. He said that Pakistan exposed itself when it attempted to remove references to TRF from the UNSC press statement.

Who are the Resistance Front (TRF)?

The Resistance Front (TRF) is an offshoot of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The group reportedly came into being after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned TRF, all its forms and front groups in January 2023. The MHA also declared the TRF a terrorist group under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The TRF is reportedly founded by founder Sheikh Sajjad Gul also known as Sheikh Sajjad and its leaders include LeT operatives Sajid Jatt and Salim Rehmani. Sajjad Gul was designated as a terrorist by the Indian government in 2022. Gul was also involved in hatching a criminal conspiracy to eliminate journalist Shujaat Bukhari along with two of his personal security officers, at the Press Enclave area of Srinagar on June 14, 2018.

The group came to the fore when J&K Police busted a unit of over ground workers (OGWs) in Sopore and Kupwara. In the past, the group has issued threats to media houses in the Valley for “traitorous acts.” Ahead of the Pahalgam terror attack, this group claimed responsibility for the Z-Morh Tunnel attack in Ganderbal on October 20, 2024. According to 2022 data, out of 172 terrorists that were killed in Jammu and Kashmir, 108 were linked to The Resistance Front.

“TRF is recruiting youth through online medium for furtherance of terrorist activities and has been also involved in carrying out propaganda on terror activities, recruitment of terrorists, infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics from Pakistan into J&K. TRF is involved in psychological operations on social media platforms for inciting people of J&K to join terrorist outfits against the Indian state,” the MHA notification stated about TRF.

The MHA notification also added that “the activities of TRF are detrimental for the national security and sovereignty of India. A large number of cases have been registered against the members/associates of the TRF relating to planning of killing of security personnel and civilians of J&K, co-coordinating and transporting weapons to support proscribed terrorist organisations…”