Owaisi said he had urged the Union government to conduct an international campaign against the group, which claimed responsibility for the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
Published May 08, 2025 | 4:15 PM ⚊ Updated May 08, 2025 | 4:15 PM
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
Synopsis: Following Thursday’s all-party meeting on recent Indian military strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi urged the government to push for international designation of the Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation. Owaisi also warned of ongoing extremist rhetoric from Lashkar-e-Taiba affiliates and stressed the urgency of international cooperation against cross-border terrorism.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday, 8 May, called for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, the Resistance Front (TRF), to be internationally designated as a terrorist organisation.
Speaking after an all-party meeting convened in the wake of Indian armed forces’ strikes against reported terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of Wednesday, Owaisi said he had urged the Union government to conduct an international campaign against the group, which initially claimed responsibility for the 22 April Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
“In the all-party meeting, I complimented our armed forces and the Indian government for conducting Operation Sindoor,” Owaisi told PTI.
“I suggested that we should launch an international campaign against the Resistance Front (TRF). The Security Council, in particular, should designate it, and we must ask the United States to classify the TRF as a foreign terrorist organisation.”
Owaisi also referenced a February 2025 speech by Hafiz Abdul Raouf, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, delivered in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in which Raouf reportedly vowed to wage jihad throughout the year.
“In the name of jihad, they wrongly aim to spread terror in India. Therefore, we must urge the United States to immediately designate the TRF as a terrorist organisation and push for Pakistan to be placed on the FATF grey list,” Owaisi said.
“We also have a trade deal with the UK, so we will request the UK government to ban the TRF and for the UK Treasury to impose sanctions on Pakistan. We are currently holding talks with the US regarding a trade deal, which is all the more reason for the US to accept our request.”
The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, briefed party leaders on Operation Sindoor – Wednesday’s military operation targeting what the Home Ministry described as terror camps across the Line of Control.
Singh reportedly told attending leaders that at least 100 terrorists were killed during the cross-border strikes, PTI reported, citing insider sources.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju described the meeting as “constructive and serious,” noting that leaders conducted themselves with “responsibility and maturity” given the security situation.
“All leaders unanimously congratulated our armed forces on the success of Operation Sindoor and assured their full support to the government, with no dissent whatsoever,” Rijiju said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed his party’s support, while also questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence for a second time.
“In this hour of crisis, we stand with the government and will continue to do so in the national interest,” Kharge said.
“The prime minister did not attend the last all-party meeting, nor did he come today. Okay… it seems they consider themselves above Parliament. When the time comes, we will ask questions, but today, in this time of crisis, we will not criticise anyone.”
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, added: “We have given our full support. I agree with what Mr Kharge has said. These are things that do not need to be discussed.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
