HOW INDIA PLAYED A DECISIVE ROLE IN GETTING TRF DESIGNATED AS A GLOBAL TERRORIST ORGANISATION

In a major diplomatic win for India and a significant blow to cross-border terrorism, the United States officially designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on July 17, 2025. While this is a strong statement from Washington, the move didn’t happen in isolation—it was the result of India’s relentless diplomatic, intelligence, and strategic pressure.

Here's how India spearheaded the effort to get TRF recognized globally for what it truly is: a dangerous front for Pakistan-backed terror operations.

What is TRF?

The Resistance Front emerged in 2019, shortly after international scrutiny increased on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), especially following the Pulwama attack. TRF was widely seen as a masked proxy of LeT, created to circumvent existing global sanctions. Under this new name, it carried out numerous attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, which killed 26 innocent civilians.

India's Multi-Pronged Strategy

 1.         Intelligence Sharing with the U.S :- Indian agencies, including the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) and National Investigation Agency (NIA), collected and shared extensive intelligence with their American counterparts. This included:

  (a) Digital evidence linking TRF operatives to handlers in Pakistan.

   (b) Cross-border communication intercepts.

   (c) Evidence of crypto-funding and digital radicalization.

This cooperation allowed the U.S. to establish clear connections between TRF and LeT, both already under U.S. scrutiny.

2.         Diplomatic Offensive :- India launched a high-level diplomatic campaign, led by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, to convince global powers—especially the U.S.—of the threat posed by TRF:

At bilateral meetings, multilateral forums, and strategic dialogues, India presented dossiers detailing TRF’s attacks. India emphasized that TRF is not just a regional threat but part of a global terror architecture.

3.         UN Push: The 1267 Sanctions Committee :- India moved the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee in May 2025, seeking a global ban on TRF. Although previous efforts had been blocked by China, this time India had strong backing from:

  (a) The United States

  (b) The United Kingdom

  (c) France

 This UN push added legitimacy and urgency to the U.S. decision.

4.         Reframing TRF as a Global Threat :- India reframed the TRF threat by showcasing :

(a) Use of encrypted messaging apps and cyber propaganda.

  (b) Influence on radicalization of diaspora youth.

  (c) Cross-border weapon and narcotic smuggling networks.

 This positioned TRF as a threat to global peace, not just Indian security.