An updated mention released by a UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee monitoring team’s report has explicitly identified The Resistance Front (TRF) as the perpetrator of the April 22, Pahalgam attack. This report has enhanced India’s existing diplomatic case against Pakistan-backed terrorism. TRF was said to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and although the TRF claimed responsibility for the attack twice in the past and posted images from the scenes of the attack, it later walked back its claim, which is noted in the UNSC text.
India has briefed the UNSC’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and CTED all claims associated with TRF along with the evidence of Pakistan’s role in the sponsorship of terrorism. The TRF was previously assessed at the behest of Pakistan and with support from China, to suppress past reports made to the UNSC. India had vigorously objected to such suppression of reports mentioning TRF.
In closed meetings with UNSC members, members noted the behaviour of the LeT and explicitly rejected the report that Pakistan offered the question of “false flag” operation as an excuse noting their expectation of responsibility and restraint. The official mention in the UNSC report signals a turning point in international recognition of TRF as a terrorist network. Strengthening India’s push for globally consistent action against terrorism.
