The US Department of State on Thursday designated The Resistance Front (TRF), the group behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, as a terrorist organisation.

In a statement issued by the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the statement acknowledged the fact that the organisation claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

The US, therefore, accorded the TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).

“Today, the Department of State is adding The Resistance Front (TRF) as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) front and proxy, claimed responsibility for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack which killed 26 civilians. This was the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks conducted by LeT. TRF has also claimed responsibility for several attacks against Indian security forces, including most recently in 2024,” the statement read.

The statement said that this action demonstrated the US President Donald Trump administration’s commitment to countering terrorism.

“These actions taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack,” the statement said.

“TRF and other associated aliases have been added to LeT’s designation as a FTO and SDGT pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and Executive Order 13224, respectively. The Department of State has also reviewed and maintained the FTO designation of LeT. Amendments to FTO designations go into effect upon publication in the Federal Register,” the statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed the importance of taking an uncompromising stance against terrorism, citing the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, which was condemned by the UN Security Council.

The Minister was speakting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin.

He highlighted three evils – terrorism, separatism and extremism, which often occur together in his X post.

S Jaishankar said, “Recently, we in India witnessed a graphic example in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025. It was deliberately conducted to undermine the tourism economy of Jammu and Kashmir, while sowing a religious divide. The UN Security Council, of which some of us are currently members, issued a statement that condemned it in the strongest terms and “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”. We have since done exactly that and will continue doing so. It is imperative that the SCO, to remain true to its founding objectives, take an uncompromising position on this challenge.” (NDTV)

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Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has announced countermeasures to India’s punitive measures against Pakistan following the devastating Pahalgam attack in India-administered Kashmir this week.

The statement released by the office of Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif goes on to announce countermeasures against India and to further denounce some of India’s moves in recent days.

Here is what the statement says about actions Pakistan will take:

“Pakistan vehemently rejects the Indian announcement to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. … Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty … will be considered as an Act of War and responded with full force.”

“Pakistan shall exercise the right to hold all bilateral agreements with India including but not limited to Simla Agreement in abeyance, till India desists from its manifested behaviour of fomenting terrorism inside Pakistan; trans-national killings; and non-adherence to international law and UN Resolutions on Kashmir.”

“Pakistan shall close down the Wagah Border Post, with immediate effect. All cross-border transit from India through this route shall be suspended, without exception.”

“Pakistan suspends all visas under SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) issued to Indian nationals. … ndian nationals currently in Pakistan under SVES are instructed to exit within 48 hours, less Sikh pilgrims”.

Pakistan declares the Indian Defence, Naval and Air Advisors in Islamabad persona non grata.

The strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad will be reduced to 30 diplomats and staff members, with effect from 30 April 2025.

“Pakistan’s airspace will be closed with immediate effect for all Indian owned or Indian operated airlines. … All trade with India, including to and from any third country through Pakistan, is suspended forthwith,” the NSC statement said. 

The countermeasures were announced following a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting held in Islamabad as Pakistan today.  

The meeting was held against the backdrop of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and ban the entry of Pakistani nationals after 26 people lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack. 

The announcement, made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), laid out five measures that New Delhi has termed as “a decisive response to cross-border terrorism”.

What are the five measures?

As we wait for Pakistan’s official response to the matter, here are the five measures New Delhi introduced following the Pahalgam attack:

• The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance with immediate effect until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.
• The Integrated Check Post Attari will be closed with immediate effect.
• Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India.
• The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
• The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55. (Al Jazeera/ First Post)

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