China, Pakistan react to US designating TRF as terrorist group: 'Strongly condemns...'
China said on Friday it firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22.
After the US designated The Resistance Front (TRF) as a "foreign terrorist organisation" for its involvement in the Pahalgam attack, China said on Friday it firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, “China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability.”
The Resistance Front (TRF) is said to be a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT). It had claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that had killed 26 people, but later backtracked as tensions soared between India and Pakistan.
On Friday, the US designated the TRF as a "foreign terrorist organisation" and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Following this, Pakistan said it "dismantled" the terrorist network and any effort to link the Pahalgam terror attack with the "defunct" Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) was against the "ground reality".
Pakistan's Foreign Office released a statement on Friday, saying the investigations into the Pahalgam incident "are still inconclusive".
"Any linkage with LeT, a defunct organization banned in Pakistan belies ground realities," the statement added.
Pakistan further claimed that it has "effectively and comprehensively dismantled concerned outfits, arrested and prosecuted the leadership, and deradicalized its cadres."
The statement said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations, has zero tolerance against terrorism, and it is the cornerstone of its policy to cooperate internationally against terrorism.