New York: India has stepped up its diplomatic campaign at the United Nations to secure the official designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as a global terrorist organisation. The move follows the group’s involvement in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025, which claimed 26 lives. As of 24 April 2026, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee is actively examining the proposal. Indian Secretary (West) Sibi George recently met António Guterres and senior counter-terrorism officials in New York, underlining the urgency of granting the “terror tag” to TRF.
India strengthens global case against TRF at UNSC
India has framed its demand within a broader call for reforms at the United Nations to better tackle evolving patterns of cross-border terrorism. It has consistently maintained that TRF functions as a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), created to project a “secular” and localised image for terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Among the evidence submitted to the UN are intelligence dossiers pointing to shared communication infrastructure, funding pipelines, and recruitment networks between TRF and LeT. Notably, TRF initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack before retracting it under international pressure. India’s case received a significant boost when a July 2025 report by the UN monitoring team acknowledged TRF’s involvement in the Pahalgam attack, marking a key diplomatic gain. However, progress remains complex. Currently serving as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan has lobbied to keep references to TRF out of official council statements.
Sanctions under the 1267 regime require unanimous approval from all 15 UNSC members, allowing procedural obstacles, often from allies such as China, to delay decisions. A major development came in July 2025, when the United States formally designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), strengthening India’s position.
In response to the Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025. The operation involved precision strikes on nine terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), eliminating over 100 terrorists.
PM Modi reaffirms India’s unyielding stand against terror on Pahalgam anniversary
In a strong reaffirmation of India’s resolve, Narendra Modi on April 22 paid tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack on its first anniversary, declaring that India will never bow to any form of terrorism.
He extended condolences to the bereaved families, underscoring national unity in grief and a collective determination to defeat terror. India marked one year since the brutal attack, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 innocent tourists after identifying their religion, one of the most heinous civilian-targeted attacks in recent times.
In a post on X, Modi said, “Remembering the innocent lives lost in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack on this day last year. They will never be forgotten. My thoughts are also with the bereaved families as they cope with this loss.”
“As a nation, we stand united in grief and resolve. India will never bow to any form of terror. The heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed,” he added.
