News Brief
Pakistan Cries Foul After US Tags Lashkar Proxy TRF As Terror Group
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. (File Photo)
Pakistan, which has been long accused of breeding and sheltering jihadist outfits, responded with outrage on Friday (18 July) after the US officially declared The Resistance Front (TRF)—a Lashkar front group—as a terrorist entity, India Today reported.
True to form, it deflected blame and pivoted to its favourite diversion: Kashmir.
The United States' terror designation for TRF comes weeks after it claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
The attack has been described by the US as the deadliest terrorist strike on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also orchestrated by Lashkar terrorists.
However, Islamabad denied any Lashkar connection to the Pahalgam killings, claiming the outfit was “defunct” and already banned in Pakistan.
"Pakistan has effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalised its cadres," Islamabad said in a statement.
Reiterating past rhetoric, Pakistan projected itself as a “frontline state” against terrorism, and claimed it had “contributed tremendously towards achievement of global peace through its counter-terrorism efforts.”
Pakistan also rejected India’s evidence-backed assertion of Lashkar’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, alleging New Delhi was misusing global platforms to "defame Pakistan".
It also urged the world to adopt “objective and non-discriminatory” counter-terror policies.
This came even as Islamabad, increasingly rattled by Baloch rebels targeting security installations in Balochistan, sought action against the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Earlier in a statement on Thursday (18 July), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced TRF’s designation as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, a move India welcomed.
The designation may lead to further global pressure via the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, with India likely to seek expanded sanctions against TRF and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Meanwhile, China, known for shielding Pakistan at the UN on terror matters, responded cautiously to the US action.
“China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
