Following the circulation of pictures and videos showing Pakistani military personnel attending the funerals of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, the situation between India and Pakistan has escalated further. Indian authorities have released damning evidence that shows senior Pakistani military and police officials at the funerals of terrorists killed in India’s precision airstrikes on May 7, 2025. These images, widely shared on social media platforms, starkly contradict Pakistan’s repeated claims of non-involvement in cross-border terrorism. India has called out the incident, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri condemning Pakistan for treating designated terrorists with the honours usually reserved for state funerals.
Despite the growing international backlash, the Pakistani military appears unfazed by the controversy. Rather than acknowledging any wrongdoing, Pakistan’s officials have chosen to downplay the matter. In a fresh wave of controversy, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), sought to redefine the image of one of the terrorists by calling him an “innocent family man” and “preacher.”
During a press briefing, Chaudhry held up a Pakistani National ID card, attempting to portray the deceased as a simple political worker, rather than a member of a terrorist organisation. This attempt to reframe the narrative has drawn further ire from Indian officials, who have responded with a clear and direct counter-narrative, citing both official records and photographic evidence to paint a much darker picture of the terrorists’ true affiliations and activities.
Chaudhry was referring to Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a US-designated global terrorist, who led the funeral of the terrorists killed in Indian airstrikes during Operation Sindoor is an ordinary citizen. The military spokesperson even presented what was claimed to be the individual’s National Identity Card (CNIC), naming him as an official of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), specifically, its “Welfare Wing Incharge.”
This bold defence of the terrorists’ image by the Pakistani military is yet another example of the country’s refusal to acknowledge its ongoing support for and association with extremist groups, despite mounting evidence. The controversy surrounding these funerals, combined with the military’s recent statements, only deepens the divide and raises questions about Pakistan’s commitment to addressing terrorism on its soil.
Who is Hafiz Abdur Rauf?
Hafiz Abdur Rauf, identified by Pakistan as a cleric, is a senior leader of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the head of Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), both designated as terrorist entities under United States and United Nations sanctions. The details released by the Pakistani military, including his CNIC number (35202-5400413-9), name, and date of birth (March 25, 1973), precisely match those listed in the US Department of Treasury’s sanctions records.
Pakistan’s portrayal of Rauf as a mere preacher is the latest in a long-standing pattern of downplaying or outright denying the country’s connections with internationally designated terrorists. This was evident during the funeral held in Muridke, near Lahore, where Rauf led the ceremony. Several high-ranking officers of the Pakistan Army were present, standing behind him, as coffins draped in Pakistan’s national flag were carried with military protocol, hinting at possible institutional support.
According to the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Rauf has held several key positions within LeT, reflecting his integral role in the group’s structure. He served as Director of Public Service in 2003, Director of Humanitarian Relief in 2008, and later headed LeT’s charity fronts, first through Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK) and subsequently under the renamed Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).
Even after Pakistan formally banned Let-affiliated organisations in 2003, Rauf remained active in defending their activities, often appearing in Pakistani media and on LeT’s official platforms. He claimed responsibility for overseeing fundraising and disaster relief under the guise of welfare work, a strategy designed to mask LeT’s terror funding and evade global scrutiny.
In 2009, Rauf led a fundraising mission under the FIF banner to Bajaur, Pakistan, an area where LeT was actively involved in both relief operations and recruitment. The United States imposed sanctions on Rauf and FIF on November 24, 2010, based on comprehensive intelligence reports, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed over 170 lives. The UN Sanctions Committee also designated both FIF and LeT as terrorist entities, along with Rauf’s close associate and LeT founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.
Despite these sanctions and international pressure, Rauf has continued to operate within Pakistan with apparent impunity, raising questions about the country’s commitment to counter-terrorism efforts.
The Funeral Controversy
The funerals in question followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a meticulously planned retaliatory operation launched in response to the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. Executed between 1:05 AM and 1:30 AM on May 7, the 25-minute operation targeted nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu-Kashmir (PoJK). The strikes, described as “measured” and “non-escalatory,” neutralised facilities linked to LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing over 100 terrorists, including high-value targets.
The targeted sites included: Sawai Nalla (LeT training camp, Muzaffarabad, PoK), Sarjal (PoK), Muridke (LeT headquarters, Punjab, Pakistan), Kotli (PoK), Kotli Gulpur (PoK), Mehmoona Joya (Hizbul Mujahideen facility, Sialkot, Pakistan), Bhimber (PoK), Bahawalpur (JeM stronghold, Pakistan) and Markaz Ahle Hadith (LeT facility, Barnala, Pakistan).
Indian authorities emphasised that the targets were carefully selected to avoid civilian or military installations, countering Pakistan’s claims of civilian casualties. However, videos and images surfacing on social media post-strikes revealed Pakistani Army personnel and senior officials attending the funerals of slain terrorists, with coffins draped in the Pakistani national flag, a gesture typically reserved for state honours.
On May 11, the Indian Armed Forces publicly identified several high-ranking Pakistani officials present at these ceremonies, including: Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Commander of the IV Corps, Lahore, Major General Rao Imran Satraj, 11th Infantry Division, Lahore, Brigadier Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Dr. Usman Anwar, Inspector General of Punjab Police and Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.
These individuals were seen offering prayers at a funeral in Muridke, approximately 40 km from Lahore, a key target of India’s strikes. A particularly incriminating video captured US-designated global terrorist and senior LeT commander Hafiz Abdul Rauf leading funeral prayers for three terrorists—Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid (alias Abu Akasha), and Mudassir—killed in a strike on a terror camp in Muridke. The US Treasury designated Rauf in 2010 for his role in LeT’s financial and logistical networks, including operations linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
India’s Scathing Condemnation
During a press briefing on May 8, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held up a photograph showing uniformed Pakistani Army and police personnel praying behind the coffins of the slain terrorists. “If only civilians were killed in these attacks, I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you. This is a question worth asking,” Misri said, debunking Pakistan’s narrative. He further criticized the practice of draping terrorists’ coffins in Pakistani flags, remarking, “Giving terrorists state funerals may be a practice in Pakistan. It doesn’t seem to make much sense to us.”
Misri’s statements were echoed by India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, who presented the same photograph during an interview on Sky News, confronting Pakistan’s state support for terrorism. India has also highlighted Pakistan’s opposition to listing the Resistance Front (TRF), an LeT offshoot that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). “While Pakistan opposed listing the TRF at the UNSC, they attend funerals of those who carry out such attacks,” Misri noted.
Key Terrorists Honoured at Funerals
Indian authorities provided detailed profiles of the terrorists whose funerals were attended by Pakistani officials, exposing their roles in terrorist activities:
1) Mudassar Khadian Khas (alias Abu Jundal), an LeT operative in charge of Markaz Taiba in Muridke, received a guard of honour from the Pakistan Army. His funeral, held in a government school and led by Hafiz Abdul Rauf, was attended by a serving Pakistani Lieutenant General and the Punjab Police IG. Wreaths were laid on behalf of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
2) Hafiz Muhammed Jameel, JeM’s head of Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur and brother-in-law of JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar, was involved in youth radicalisation and fundraising.
3) Mohammad Yusuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ji), another Azhar brother-in-law, managed JeM’s weapons training, orchestrated attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, and was wanted for the 1999 IC-814 hijacking.
4) Khalid (alias Abu Akasha), an LeT operative linked to attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and weapons smuggling from Afghanistan.
5) Mohammad Hassan Khan, son of JeM’s PoK commander Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri, coordinated terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The three terrorists killed in Muridke were reportedly members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front organisation founded by LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, and worked as prayer leaders and caretakers at a mosque destroyed in the Indian strike.
Pakistan’s Military-Terror Nexus and the Osama Connection
The presence of senior Pakistani officials at these funerals has fueled allegations of a deep-rooted nexus between Pakistan’s state institutions and terrorist organisations. India’s Ministry of External Affairs and armed forces have pointed to the funerals as evidence of Pakistan’s institutional support for jihadist elements.
“Pakistan has long maintained that it does not harbour or sponsor terrorism, but according to images shared by the Indian Armed Forces, many Pakistani Army officials attended the terrorists’ funerals,” an Indian defence official stated.
The controversy has also cast a spotlight on DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, whose father, Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a prominent Pakistani nuclear scientist, maintained documented ties to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Mahmood, who played a significant role in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, founded Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN) after retiring in 1999. In 2001, he met with bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan, raising concerns about his nuclear expertise. Detained and interrogated by the CIA and FBI, Mahmood claimed his discussions were limited to humanitarian issues. His release and subsequent eccentric writings about generating electricity from “djinns” did little to restore his credibility.
The revelations about Mahmood have reignited concerns about Pakistan’s reliability as a nuclear-armed state, with critics pointing to its involvement in major terrorist attacks, including the 9/11 attacks, the 2005 London bombings, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
International Response
India has urged the United Nations and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to address Pakistan’s role in supporting terrorism, with Misri emphasising that the Pahalgam attack, carried out by terrorists trained in Pakistan, was the “original escalation.” “Pakistan escalated the situation; we only responded. The choice of de-escalation is entirely Pakistan’s to make,” he stated.
The public participation of Pakistan’s military in these funerals has drawn international attention, further cementing Pakistan’s reputation as a global epicentre of terrorism.
