Context: Recently, the United States has designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about The Resistance Front (TRF); 1267 Sanctions Committee.
The Resistance Front
- The Resistance Front (TRF) is a proxy of Pakistan-based UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
- Founded by Muhammad Abbas Sheikh (now deceased) in 2019, in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370. It is currently headed by designated terrorist Sheikh Sajjad Gul. As per Indian security agencies, the outfit was floated to evade international sanctions against Pakistan.
- TRF has carried out several terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir’s Keran (2020), Handwara, Sopore, Shopian, Anantnag, and Reasi with the latest one in Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam (2025).
- TRF usually focused on security forces and political figures, but late 2024 onwards it started to target infrastructure projects and civilians (including non-locals) in J&K.
- The Indian government has designated the outfit as a terror organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 2023.
The move intensifies global pressure on Pakistan to rein in terror groups operating from its territory.
The designation will help India’s case in designating the TRF under the 1267 Committee for sanctions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and imposing sanctions and travel bans on its members.
The 1267 Sanctions Committee
- The 1267 Sanctions Committee, also known as the ISIS and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, was established under the UNSC Resolution in 1999.
- It is one of the most important UN subsidiary bodies working towards combating terrorism, particularly in relation to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and associated individuals, groups and entities.
- The committee decides on sanctions and travel bans for individuals and entities associated with these terror organisations and ensures the enforcement of these measures under UNSC resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011), and 2253 (2015).
Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the UNSC, has been protecting TRF at UNSC with support from China.