No Objection’: Pakistan’s U-Turn on TRF as Foreign Minister Backs US Terrorist Tag

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has signaled a significant reversal in his country’s stance on The Resistance Front (TRF), stating that Islamabad has “no objection” to the United States designating the group as a “terrorist organisation.” The statement, made during an event in Washington on Friday, marks a sharp departure from Pakistan’s previous efforts to shield the group on international platforms.

The Resistance Front, which India has identified as a front for the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 people. Speaking in Washington, Dar said, “It is a sovereign decision of the United States to designate the TRF. We have no issue.” He added, however, that linking TRF with Lashkar-e-Taiba is “wrong.”

This new position is in stark contrast to Dar’s statements just months ago. In April, following the Pahalgam attack, he told Pakistan’s Parliament that Islamabad had successfully prevented the inclusion of TRF in a UN Security Council resolution. “We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement… TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed,” Dar had stated at the time, insisting on more substantial evidence.

The dramatic shift was highlighted by a journalist on social media, who posted a video of the exchange in Washington. The post contrasted Pakistan’s previous stance of “We don’t consider TRF illegal. Show proof” with the current one: “US has listed TRF as a terror group. We have no objection.”

When questioned by Hindustan Times about this reversal, Dar defended his previous actions, claiming there was no conclusive proof at the time to warrant TRF’s inclusion in the UN statement.

India designated The Resistance Front as a terrorist outfit under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in January 2023. The group first emerged online in 2019 and has since claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including targeted killings and a grenade attack in Srinagar.