Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir JD(U) president GM Shaheen on Friday called for an immediate ban on all organisations involved in spreading terror in India. His statement came a day after the US Department of State designated “The Resistance Front” (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Shaheen urged global bodies to take similar action against other Pakistan-backed terrorist groups.
“This should have happened much earlier,” he said. “All organisations that spread terror within our country must be banned without delay. Authorities should not wait for tragic incidents like the Pahalgam attack to act. Reactive bans, after innocent lives are lost, reflect weak policy.”
He further stressed that any group exhibiting suspicious activity should be banned proactively and that the international community should also target other terror outfits backed by Pakistan. “The United States must ensure it does not align with those who support terrorism,” Shaheen added.
His remarks follow a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed that TRF—under US anti-terror laws—had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. In response, the group was designated both an FTO and SDGT.
TRF, widely recognized as a front for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed. The incident led to a significant military escalation between India and Pakistan over the following weeks.
The US described the Pahalgam massacre as the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, also attributed to LeT. The move to designate TRF, the US government said, reflects the Trump administration’s ongoing commitment to combating global terrorism.
“These actions by the Department of State highlight the Trump administration’s dedication to protecting national security, countering terrorism, and delivering justice for victims of the Pahalgam attack,” Rubio said.
He added that TRF and its aliases have now been added under LeT’s existing FTO and SDGT designations under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. These amendments will take effect following their publication in the Federal Register.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday welcomed the US decision, describing it as a significant milestone in the global fight against terrorism.
“We appreciate the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio for this decisive action,” the MEA stated. “The Government of India welcomes the designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
The statement reiterated that TRF, acting as a proxy for LeT, has been responsible for multiple terror activities, including the brutal civilian massacre in Pahalgam.
