In a controversial speech at the Pakistani Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar openly defended The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist group linked to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. TRF, widely recognized as a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack, yet Dar challenged the evidence, stating, “We don’t consider TRF illegal. Show us proof they carried out the Pahalgam attack.”[](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/show-proof-they-carried-out-pahalgam-attack-pak-deputy-pm-ishaq-dar-openly-supports-trf-8906816)
Dar revealed that Pakistan, leveraging its position as a non-permanent UN Security Council member, successfully blocked TRF’s mention in the UNSC’s condemnation of the attack. “We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed,” he said, despite TRF’s public claim and intelligence from India and the US linking the group to LeT’s infrastructure.[](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/show-proof-they-carried-out-pahalgam-attack-pak-deputy-pm-ishaq-dar-openly-supports-trf-8906816)
On July 18, 2025, the US designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), imposing financial sanctions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned TRF, calling the Pahalgam attack “the deadliest assault on civilians in India since 2008” and reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to counter-terrorism.[](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/show-proof-they-carried-out-pahalgam-attack-pak-deputy-pm-ishaq-dar-openly-supports-trf-8906816)
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India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar welcomed the US decision, posting on X, “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, as an FTO and SDGT.” India provided substantial evidence to the US, linking TRF to the attack, which targeted Hindu tourists in Baisaran Valley.[](https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1946046579066261652)[](https://www.news18.com/amp/india/started-work-within-3-days-of-pahalgam-attack-how-india-got-terror-outfit-tag-for-pakistans-trf-ws-kl-9449174.html)
The National Investigation Agency’s preliminary report further exposed an operational nexus between Pakistan’s ISI and LeT, with the attack planned under ISI directives. Despite Pakistan’s denials and Dar’s defense of TRF, the international community, including the US, has condemned the attack, highlighting Pakistan’s role in shielding terrorist groups.[](https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-lashkar-pakistans-isi-nexus-mentioned-in-anti-terror-bodys-pahalgam-report-8309888)[](https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-s-ishaq-dar-once-blocked-mention-of-lashkar-backed-trf-in-unsc-statement-against-pahalgam-terror-attack-1752816611091)[]
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