Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has defended his country’s position on The Resistance Front (TRF), just after the United States officially designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).

The TRF is believed by both India and the US to be linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based terror outfit. The TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dar: US Decision Is Sovereign, But No Proof Yet

Speaking at an event in Washington DC, Dar said Pakistan respects the US move to list the TRF as a terrorist group. “It is obviously a sovereign decision of the United States to designate the TRF. We have no issue. And we welcome, if they have any evidence, that they are involved,” he said.

Dar made this statement after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier that day.

Pakistan Rejects Link Between TRF and Lashkar-e-Taiba

Dar denied that TRF has any current link to Lashkar-e-Taiba. He said the group had been dismantled by Pakistan in the past.

“Linking the TRF to the Lashkar-e-Taiba is wrong. That outfit was dismantled years ago by Pakistan. The actors were prosecuted, arrested and jailed, and the entire outfit was destroyed,” Dar stated, repeating a claim made often by the Pakistani government.

Pakistan Blocked TRF's Mention in UN Resolution

In April, Dar told Pakistan’s Parliament that his government successfully removed TRF’s name from a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that condemned the Pahalgam attack.

“We opposed the mention of TRF in the UNSC statement. I got calls from global capitals, but Pakistan will not accept. TRF was deleted, and Pakistan prevailed,” Dar said at the time.

He also said Pakistan wanted more concrete proof before accepting that the TRF was involved in the violence.

Minister Repeats Position at Public Event

When asked again about the issue on Friday during a public event, Dar defended his earlier stance. He said there was no reliable evidence available at the time of the UN resolution that could justify mentioning the TRF.

India Declared TRF a Terror Group in 2023

India officially designated the TRF as a terrorist organisation in January 2023 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the TRF first appeared online in 2019. Since then, it has claimed responsibility for multiple terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. These include a grenade attack in Srinagar that injured seven civilians, and targeted killings in 2021.

India Pushed for Global Recognition of TRF as a Terror Outfit

India has continuously urged the global community to label TRF as a terrorist group. In May and November 2024, India submitted detailed evidence to the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee. India also raised the issue several times in 2023, demanding international action against the group.