By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday sharply denounced the United States for branding The Resistance Front (TRF), a Kashmir-based militant group, as a foreign terrorist organisation, calling the move a groundless bid to tie it to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and shield India from scrutiny over its conduct in the contested region.
The US government on Thursday designated The Resistance Front as a “foreign terrorist organization” following a deadly attack in the region that killed 26 people. The move, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes amid a sharp escalation of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, reigniting concerns over their decades-long rivalry in the disputed Himalayan territory.
The attack on April 22 in occupied Kashmir’s tourist resort of Pahalgam sharply escalated the unrest in an already tense region. The Resistance Front, also known as Kashmir Resistance, initially claimed responsibility for the assault before retracting its statement days later. The US action also labeled the group a “specially designated global terrorist” entity, a step Rubio said enforced President Donald Trump’s “call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Office fired back with a blistering rebuttal. “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Zero tolerance and international cooperation against terrorism are cornerstones of our policy,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Pakistan has been and remains a frontline state against terrorism and has contributed tremendously towards the achievement of global peace through its CT (counter-terrorism) efforts, including the apprehension of terrorist Sharifullah, the mastermind of the Abbey Gate Bombing.”
The ministry said investigations into the Pahalgam incident, “which occurred in the internationally recognised disputed region of IIOJ&K (Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir), are still inconclusive.”
“Any linkage with LeT, a defunct organization banned in Pakistan, belies ground realities,” the ministry added. “Pakistan has effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalized its cadres.”
The Foreign Office said India has a history of using US designations to spread anti-Pakistan propaganda and distract from its own human rights violations in Kashmir.
“While the issue under consideration pertains to US domestic laws, India has a track record of exploiting such designations to push anti-Pakistan propaganda with a view to diverting international attention from its irresponsible and rogue behavior, including ongoing human rights atrocities, especially in IIOJ&K,” the statement said.
“As Pakistan continues to remain a counter-terrorism bulwark through unparalleled sacrifices and efficacy, we urge the international community to adopt objective and non-discriminatory policies to address this global menace through collective efforts, which necessitate that terrorist organizations like the Majeed Brigade must also be listed as an alias of the BLA.”
In the statement, US Secretary Rubio described The Resistance Front, which emerged in 2019, as a “front and proxy” for Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people over three days. Lashkar-e-Taiba has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States since 2001.
New Delhi has long blamed Pakistan for supporting militant groups in Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies. The Pahalgam attack triggered heavy fighting across the border, with Indian jets bombing what New Delhi described as “terrorist infrastructure” on May 7, prompting Pakistani retaliation. The ensuing clashes, featuring fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery, killed dozens until a ceasefire took hold on May 10.
The ceasefire, first announced by Trump on social media, followed US talks with both nations. Trump claimed credit, citing his threats to sever trade talks, but India pushed back, insisting the truce stemmed from direct dialogue with Pakistan, not outside intervention.
The US has condemned the Pahalgam attack but hasn’t directly implicated Pakistan, a nuance Islamabad clings to as it calls for impartiality.
Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst based in Washington, said the US designation of The Resistance Front signals concern over the attack that sparked the recent India-Pakistan flare-up. “Washington is siding with New Delhi’s view that the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba,” Kugelman said. “This can be a shot in the arm for a US-India relationship looking to rebound after a few tough months.”
Kashmir has been a flashpoint since India and Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947, splitting into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Both claim the mountainous region in full but control only parts, a division that has fueled multiple wars and persistent skirmishes.
The Muslim-majority territory remains a volatile fault line, with each side accusing the other of backing insurgents. The latest escalation was among the most serious in years, raising fears of a nuclear confrontation between the two powers.
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