New Delhi: In a show of deep-seated ties between the Pakistani establishment and designated terror groups, cabinet ministers openly embraced and glorified Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders at a rally in Lahore on Wednesday.
Rather than maintaining distance, senior officials were seen applauding, embracing, and delivering speeches that lauded the terrorists’ roles in “defending Pakistan,” providing stark “visual proof of Pakistan’s unholy alliance with terror outfits.”
The event featured prominent LeT figure Saifullah Kasuri, accused of plotting the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, sharing the stage not only with US-designated terrorist Talha Saeed (son of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed) but also with high-ranking government officials, including Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan. Kasuri was flanked by Pakistani security forces and officials from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.
During the rally, Minister Malik Rasheed provocatively declared that “24 crore Pakistanis are today represented by men like Hafiz Saeed and Saifullah Kasuri,” equating terror figures with national identity. He even announced a government job for the brother of Mudasir, a Lashkar commander killed in an Indian airstrike on the group’s Muridke headquarters.
Kasuri himself delivered inflammatory remarks, boasting about his increased fame since being accused of the Pahalgam attack. He defiantly challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, “Modi is mistaken if he thinks we are scared of bullets,” in a clear response to Modi’s earlier warning to Pakistan.
Kasuri also praised Pakistan’s “Bunyan al-Marsoos operation” and lauded Pakistan’s cyber team for allegedly “targeting” India’s critical infrastructure, a claim Indian authorities have debunked, The Times of India reported. His declaration that “Allah loves those who engage in jihad” was met with cheers from Pakistani officials present at the event.
According to the TOI report, as the program concluded and Kasuri began thanking ministers by name, security personnel were seen signalling media to stop filming.
