Indian Delegation Urges UN To Declare TRF A Terrorist Organisation

In a key diplomatic initiative, an Indian delegation met senior United Nations counter-terrorism officials on Wednesday to push for the designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation.

The move follows the deadly Pahalgam attack, where 26 civilians were killed, allegedly by TRF militants.

The Indian team, comprising intelligence and diplomatic officials, held discussions with Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).

Both UN officials expressed their condolences for the victims of the Pahalgam attack and reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms.

The Indian delegation linked TRF to the Pahalgam killings and outlined its ties to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which the UN designated a terrorist entity in 2005.

The delegation urged the UN to list TRF, as an LeT front, under the sanctions regime established by Security Council Resolution 1267.

Meetings With UN Sanctions Panel & Diplomats

The delegation also met with the monitoring team of the 1267 Committee, which is responsible for sanctioning individuals and groups associated with Da’esh, Al-Qaida, and their affiliates.

According to sources at the UN, Indian representatives submitted extensive evidence of TRF’s operations, including its role in the Pahalgam attack.

In addition to technical briefings, the delegation is engaging with diplomats from various UN member states to build consensus for TRF’s designation.

This includes efforts to ensure asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes against the group and its operatives.

UNOCT’s readout from the meeting highlighted ongoing Indo-UN cooperation in counter-terrorism, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, countering terror financing, and supporting victims of terrorism.

The UN acknowledged India’s role in technical capacity-building, especially regarding new and emerging technologies.

Both sides discussed the rising threat posed by technologies such as drones and cryptocurrency in facilitating terror activities.

These concerns reflect key themes from the 2022 Delhi Declaration, adopted during India’s chairmanship of the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee.

The declaration called for international principles to regulate the use of emerging technologies by terror groups.

LeT has been operating under multiple aliases, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Pasba-e-Kashmir, with over two dozen affiliated entities listed by the UN.

Notably, its chief Hafeez Mohammed Saeed and several top operatives have been sanctioned. Indian officials argue that TRF is a clear continuation of LeT’s operations under a different name.

If accepted, the TRF designation would mark a significant international step toward holding state-sponsored terrorist proxies accountable.

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