India wants LeT offshoot TRF to be declared a terror outfit at the UN: What's the process?

India is pushing for the United Nations to officially designate The Resistance Front (TRF) — an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) — as a terrorist organisation under the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 sanctions regime.

The move comes in the wake of the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

With mounting evidence pointing towards TRF’s involvement, India is set to present a fresh dossier before the UNSC’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, seeking action against the outfit and its operatives.

India’s dossier against TRF

The Indian government will share a comprehensive compilation of intelligence, digital forensics, and investigative findings with the 1267 Sanctions Committee — a key arm of the UNSC responsible for designating and sanctioning terror groups and their associates.

This submission includes data on TRF’s origin, structure, modus operandi, and direct links to Pakistan’s terror ecosystem.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated: “TRF is one organization which is a front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and you would understand that we have been pursuing listing of TRF in the United Nations by the United Nations Security Council by the UNCC 1267 sanctions committee.”

Jaiswal elaborated that New Delhi has already been engaging with the UN on this issue over the past two years. He added: “Over the last two years or so, since 2023-24 we have been sharing information with the United Nations Security Council, the monitoring team of the sanctions committee as to why the terrorist TRF which is the front for Lashkar-e-Taiba should be listed as a terrorist entity.”

India had previously provided inputs regarding TRF in its half-yearly submissions to the monitoring team of the 1267 Committee in May and November 2024.

These reports highlighted TRF’s role as a cover organisation for internationally sanctioned groups such as LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and detailed its involvement in killings, arms trafficking and terrorist recruitment.

What is the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee

The UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee was established in 1999 through Resolution 1267 and plays a central role in imposing sanctions on entities and individuals affiliated with Al-Qaeda, ISIS and related organisations.

The committee has evolved through subsequent resolutions — including 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) — and now oversees the application of travel bans, asset freezes, and arms embargoes on listed individuals and entities.

The committee is also tasked with maintaining and updating the UN’s consolidated sanctions list, while ensuring that member states implement the required restrictions effectively.

Inclusion in the list can significantly impair a group’s ability to operate internationally, cutting off financial channels, restricting movement of operatives and undermining their logistical networks.

How the process in the UNSC works

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is supposed to play a central role in the global fight against terrorism through the use of targeted sanctions regimes.

However, contrary to popular perception, the UN does not maintain a universal list of all terrorist organisations. Instead, the designations made by the UN are selective, governed by specific mandates and often influenced by geopolitics.

The Security Council’s framework for designating terrorist actors is primarily built around a small number of thematic sanctions regimes.

The most prominent of these are the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Regime — initially established in 1999 under Resolution 1267 and later updated by Resolutions 1989 and 2253 — and the separate Taliban Sanctions Regime created in 2011 under Resolution 1988.

These regimes include consolidated lists of individuals, entities, and groups identified as being associated with terrorism, particularly with ISIL, Al-Qaida or the Taliban.

Once designated, entities face a global asset freeze, a travel ban and a prohibition on arms transfers. These measures are legally binding on all UN member states.

The process for listing an individual or organization under a UN sanctions regime is initiated by a member state, which submits a proposal to the appropriate sanctions committee, such as the 1267 Committee for ISIL and Al-Qaida.

The proposal must include a detailed explanation of the subject’s involvement in terrorism, a factual case summary, and supporting evidence.

All 15 members of the committee, which includes the five permanent members of the UNSC, must agree by consensus for the listing to be approved. This means any one member can place a hold or effectively block the designation, even without using a formal veto.

Currently, Pakistan holds a non-permanent seat at the Security Council.

This consensus-based procedure has often allowed politics to shape the designation process. One of the most cited examples of this dynamic is the long-running case of Masood Azhar, leader of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

India, supported by France, the United Kingdom and the United States, pushed for his designation following several terror attacks, including the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack and the 2019 suicide bombing in Pulwama .

China, a permanent member of the Security Council, repeatedly blocked the listing through procedural holds.

It was only in May 2019, following global diplomatic pressure, that the UN finally listed Azhar under the 1267 regime. Notably, the listing did not mention Jaish-e-Mohammed by name — an omission widely attributed to Chinese resistance.

Other individuals affiliated with groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, have been listed as well. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the group’s founder, was designated in December 2008, along with Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, its operational commander.

However, these listings occurred only when member states were able to demonstrate clear links between these individuals and Al-Qaeda, highlighting the limitations of the existing UN framework.

Groups that operate independently of these core networks often remain outside the scope of the UN’s sanctions architecture.

Beyond the Security Council sanctions committees, other UN bodies play supporting roles but do not have the power to designate organisations. The UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), established under Resolution 1373 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, is tasked with monitoring state compliance with counter-terrorism obligations.

The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), formed in 2017, coordinates global counter-terrorism efforts and offers capacity-building assistance to member states. Neither body has the authority to maintain or enforce a terror list.

This stands in contrast to national and regional entities that do maintain expansive terrorist organization lists. The United States, for instance, designates Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) through its State Department.

The European Union and countries such as India also maintain their own national lists, which include groups like Hezbollah, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and others.

What TRF’s activities in Kashmir tell us

The Resistance Front emerged in 2019, soon after Article 370 was revoked in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Indian security agencies, the formation of TRF was a deliberate attempt by proscribed Pakistan-based groups to distance themselves from direct responsibility and operate through less conspicuous names.

Investigations have documented TRF’s hand in numerous violent incidents across Kashmir, including targeted assassinations, grenade attacks, arms smuggling, and logistical support to active militants.

Officials say that TRF has increasingly relied on digital channels and encrypted communications, while its ideological and operational control remains aligned with LeT and JeM.

A detailed probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed that TRF has served as a front for recruiting youth in Kashmir and channeling them into armed militancy.

The Pahalgam attack is the most recent in a string of incidents where the group’s footprint has been established by Indian intelligence agencies.

TRF had initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack within hours of its occurrence on April 22. A second claim was made the next morning on April 23. However, the group later retracted its claim citing a cyber intrusion.

According to senior Indian officials, the retraction likely occurred after its handlers across the border gauged the scale and implications of the attack. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, commented on this reversal, stating: “Obviously that retraction doesn’t convince anybody.”

Diplomatic challenges India faces at the UNSC

India’s efforts to bring TRF under UN sanctions have previously been stymied by geopolitical hurdles, notably the blocking of its designation by Pakistan with support from China.

Both countries have used procedural tools at the UNSC to prevent the inclusion of TRF in official statements and sanction lists.

Sources indicate that Pakistan, which is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, intervened to remove any reference to TRF in the Council’s official statement condemning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

This move has been widely interpreted by Indian officials as evidence of Pakistan’s direct support to the group.

India has pointed out that social media posts claiming responsibility for the attack were circulated by accounts known to be associated with LeT. Investigators have also identified communication trails between the attackers and handlers based in Pakistan.

In December 2023, India had alerted the 1267 monitoring team that LeT and JeM were operating through proxy entities such as TRF to continue their activities under different names.

India’s goal is to have TRF formally included in this list, with comprehensive sanctions imposed on its leadership, financiers and affiliated entities.

This would mark a significant step in global recognition of TRF as a terrorist organisation and strengthen India’s case for greater international cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

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With inputs from agencies