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Terrorism

India Pushes for UN Sanctions Against Terror Group TRF, Exposes Double Standards in Fighting Terrorism

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Indian government has presented evidence against The Resistance Front (TRF) to UN counter-terrorism officials, seeking to have the group designated as a terror organization under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions list. TRF, a proxy of the Pakistan-based UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the 2023 Pahalgam terror attack. The UNSC's 1267 sanctions regime, established in 1999, aims to blacklist terrorists and terror groups in Afghanistan, including Osama bin Laden and his associates. However, the implementation of the sanctions has been marred by double standards and hypocrisy, with some UN members seeking to normalize relations with the Taliban-led government despite the presence of acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund, acting first deputy PM Abdul Ghani Baradar, and acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on the Taliban sanctions list.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Indian government has presented evidence against The Resistance Front (TRF) to UN counter-terrorism officials, seeking to have the group designated as a terror organization under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions list.
  • The TRF is a proxy of the Pakistan-based UN-designated terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the 2023 Pahalgam terror attack.
  • The UNSC's 1267 sanctions regime, established in 1999, aims to blacklist terrorists and terror groups in Afghanistan, including Osama bin Laden and his associates.
  • Despite being proscribed by the UNSC, the world still seeks to normalize relations with the Taliban-led government, with acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund, acting first deputy PM Abdul Ghani Baradar, and acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi remaining on the Taliban sanctions list.
  • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, remains on the 1267 sanctions list, yet US President Donald Trump warmly shook hands with its former leader, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa.
  • Army generals in Pakistan attended funerals of terrorists affiliated with UN-sanctioned groups killed during Operation Sindoor.
  • India's attempts to enlist terrorists in the 1267 sanctions list have been thwarted in the UNSC by the likes of China, largely due to their "iron-clad" friendship with Pakistan.
  • The US has supported India in the UNSC on terror-related issues, despite the West's double standards in combatting terror.
  • India's zero-tolerance policy for terrorism has been at odds with the West's approach, with the US opposing the insertion of "zero tolerance to terror" in a UNSC statement due to concerns over human rights violations.
  • The number of Pakistani terrorists and Pakistan-based terrorist organizations on the 1267 sanctions list is over 150, highlighting the country's role in sponsoring terror.
  • UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, founder of LeT, enjoys official protection and roams freely in Pakistan, inciting people to attack India and Kashmir.

Statistics:

  • Over 150 listings on the 1267 sanctions list reference Pakistan, a significant number for a country that the international community hesitates to call out for sponsoring terror.
  • The UNSC's 1267 sanctions regime was established in 1999, aiming to blacklist terrorists and terror groups in Afghanistan.
  • India's zero-tolerance policy for terrorism has been reiterated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the government also sending all-party delegations to convey the strong message of zero tolerance for terrorism.

Sources:

  • [Hindustan Times] by TS Tirumurti (former ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations)

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