In a first, US acknowledges Pakistan’s terror role in Pahalgam attack. So why is Washington still arming Islamabad

FILE - Indian security officers inspect the site a day after where terrorists indiscriminately opened fire at tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo, File)

A senior US lawmaker from Donald Trump’s Republican Party has openly backed India’s charge that Pakistan-based terror groups were behind the Pahalgam massacre, marking one of the strongest endorsements of New Delhi’s position from Washington. Speaking during a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing, Representative Bill Huizenga stated that Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front, were responsible for the attack that killed 26 people in April.

“The Lashkar-e-Taiba, its proxy The Resistance Front, were responsible for the heinous Pahalgam terror attack, and it was designated by the Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organisation in July of 2025,” Huizenga said. His remarks underline that Washington’s partnership with India remains essential in countering terrorism.

Yet this acknowledgement also exposes Washington’s contradictory posture. While the US is calling out Pakistan-backed terror networks, it is simultaneously deepening engagement with Islamabad. Pakistan, the very country that shelters these groups, has been enjoying reduced tariffs and fresh defence assistance under Trump. Ties with India were strained earlier, while Pakistan received a friendlier hand.

Huizenga’s statements came on the same day the Trump administration cleared a 686 million dollar plan to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets, a move that has raised eyebrows given Islamabad’s long record of fostering violent extremism.

The April 22 Pahalgam assault was India’s deadliest terror attack since the 2008 Mumbai carnage. TRF initially claimed responsibility before attempting to walk it back, a familiar tactic used to shield its handlers in Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement and repeated its standard line that Lashkar-e-Taiba had ceased to exist, a claim India and global security agencies reject.

New Delhi responded forcefully with Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror training camps and 11 military facilities inside Pakistan. The US later designated TRF as a foreign terrorist organisation and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group in July. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it an important classification, a decision India welcomed as a “timely and important step.”

Huizenga also stressed that a robust trade partnership is vital for both countries. “The US-India relationship is no longer just important. It is a defining relationship of the 21st century. If the US wants a free Indo-Pacific, resilient supply chains and a world where democracy, not authoritarianism, sets the rules, then our partnership with India is critical,” he said.

Despite months of negotiations, a formal trade deal remains elusive. However, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said this week that Washington has received its “best ever offer” from India, renewing hopes of progress.

Huizenga’s testimony highlights a truth India has long pointed to. Pakistan continues to act as a launchpad for terrorism while expecting economic and military indulgence from the world. The US calling out LeT and TRF is a step forward, but its parallel efforts to arm Islamabad show the contradictions that still cloud Washington’s policy.