India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri exposed Pakistan’s ongoing links to several UN-designated terror outfits in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
At a press conference in New Delhi on May 8, Misri revealed a photograph of U.S.-designated terrorist Abdur Rauf leading prayers for those killed in Indian Air Force strikes on the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) headquarters in Muridke, near Lahore. The image showed Rauf, flanked by military officials, presiding over a funeral where the deceased were draped in Pakistan’s national flag and accorded what appeared to be state honours.
“This photograph speaks for itself. If these were merely civilians, what message does this image send?” Misri asked. “As far as we are concerned, those eliminated in the strike were terrorists. If Pakistan gives them state funerals, that’s their practice. It doesn’t make sense to us.”
The Indian government identified links to not just The Resistance Front (TRF)—which initially claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack—but also to LeT, Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The FIF is a banned LeT affiliate, and Rauf, its leader, has been on the U.S. Treasury’s Specially Designated Global Terrorist list since 2010. The FIF was also banned by the U.S. the same year after Indian input post the Mumbai terror attacks.
Rauf served directly under LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, who both the UN and U.S. list as a global terrorist.
India confirmed the death of JeM commander Abdul Rauf Azhar, brother of JeM leader Masood Azhar, during the strikes on Bahawalpur. A note believed to be from Masood Azhar listed other family members killed in the attack, including his sister.
Abdul Rauf Azhar orchestrated the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, which led to the release of Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh Saeed, and Mushtaq Zargar in Kandahar. Since then, JeM has been involved in major attacks like the 2000 Parliament assault, 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. While JeM and Masood Azhar are listed as terrorists by the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked efforts to sanction Abdur Rauf under the same list. The U.S., however, added him to its own designated list in December 2010, citing his involvement in recruiting suicide bombers for attacks in India.
Pakistan’s Shielding of TRF Sparks Global Concern
Misri also criticized Pakistan’s handling of the TRF. The group had twice claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 dead, before retracting its statement. India had flagged TRF’s activities to the UN 1267 Monitoring Team multiple times. Misri noted Pakistan’s efforts to remove TRF’s name from a UNSC resolution on April 25, and how its Deputy PM boasted in Parliament on April 29 about softening the resolution language to remove references to both TRF and the Indian government.
India is now expected to push for the UNSC to list the TRF as a terrorist group officially.
Opposition Demands Action
During an all-party meeting in Delhi on Thursday, Opposition leaders urged the government to press the U.S. to designate TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO). They also advocated for India to push for Pakistan’s return to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, accusing it of allowing known terrorists to operate freely despite existing sanctions.
