Amid intensified diplomatic efforts by New Delhi to have The Resistance Front (TRF) designated as a UN-recognised terrorist organisation, an Indian delegation met with top officials of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).
TRF, a front for the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the loss of 26 lives.
According to sources cited by PTI, a technical team from India currently in New York held meetings on Wednesday with representatives of the 1267 Sanctions Committee’s Monitoring Team, as well as with officials from UNOCT and CTED. A joint readout of the meeting revealed that UN Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman met with the Indian representatives on behalf of their respective offices.
This development follows India’s retaliatory action through Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam massacre.
The United Nations Security Council had earlier released a press statement strongly condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. However, it notably omitted any mention of TRF, reportedly due to Pakistani efforts to have the group’s name excluded from the statement.
During the meeting, Voronkov and Gherman conveyed their condolences over the Pahalgam incident. Discussions centered around existing cooperation between India and the UN's counter-terrorism bodies. The engagement particularly focused on implementing key UN Security Council resolutions and the UN’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
The readout highlighted India-supported UNOCT capacity-building efforts in areas such as cybersecurity, monitoring terrorist travel, supporting victims of terrorism, and curbing terror financing. Both parties also explored strategies to combat the misuse of emerging technologies by terror networks. This includes work aligned with the 2022 Delhi Declaration, adopted under India’s chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, as well as the development of non-binding principles—drafted with CTED's assistance—on addressing risks posed by drones and financial tech used for terrorism.
Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and set to preside over it in July, has long had individuals and organizations on the Council’s 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions List. Those listed are subject to asset freezes, arms embargoes, and travel bans.
The 1267 ISIL (Da’esh)/Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, composed of all 15 Security Council members, operates by consensus. It is tasked with enforcing sanctions and adding individuals or entities that meet the established listing criteria.
While the UN Security Council strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack in its April 25 statement, it avoided naming TRF—an omission that Indian officials attribute to Pakistani lobbying.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in a briefing on Operation Sindoor last week, confirmed that TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam killings and reiterated the group's ties to the proscribed LeT.
Misri also noted that India had submitted intelligence on TRF in the semi-annual reports to the UN’s 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024, clearly outlining its function as a front for Pakistan-backed terror outfits. Earlier, in December 2023, Indian authorities had briefed the committee on the operations of LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad through smaller groups like TRF.
He further emphasized that Pakistan's successful push to remove TRF’s name from the April 25 press statement highlights its ongoing attempts to shield such organizations from international scrutiny.
UNOCT was established in June 2017 and its main functions include enhancing coordination and coherence across the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities; strengthening the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States and improving visibility, advocacy and resource mobilisation for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts.
The Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to assist the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), which was established by Security Council resolution 1372 (2001), adopted unanimously in September 2001 in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
(With PTI inputs)
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
