
Pakistan's terror nexus exposed: Ministers share stage with LeT commanders
In an alarming display of state complicity with terror, senior ministers of Pakistan's federal and Punjab governments were seen sharing the stage with some of India's most wanted terrorists during an event held in Kasur District, Punjab province, on May 28 — marked in Pakistan as Youm-e-Takbeer, commemorating its nuclear tests.What unfolded on that stage has raised serious concerns globally: Pakistan's Food Minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan — both close confidantes of PM Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz — were seated alongside LeT-linked terrorists like Saifullah Kasuri, Talha Saeed (son of Hafiz Saeed) and Amir Hamza, spewing venom against India and glorifying terrorism.
Ministers greet terrorists, call them 'symbols of Pakistan'advertisementRather than distancing themselves from extremist figures, the ministers personally welcomed the terrorists to the stage — embracing them, applauding them, and delivering speeches glorifying their role in what they described as 'defending Pakistan.'
Minister Malik Rasheed openly 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 that the Shehbaz Sharif government would offer a job to the brother of Mudasir, a Lashkar commander killed in India's airstrike on the group's Muridke headquarters.Saifullah calls himself famous post Pahalgam-attackOne of the most shocking appearances was that of Saifullah Kasuri, accused mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, who had gone underground after the strike. In a 24-minute-long hate-filled speech, Kasuri proudly proclaimed, 'I was blamed for Pahalgam and now the whole world knows my name.'advertisementHis appearance confirms intelligence inputs that Kasuri had been sheltered by Pakistan's ISI in Bahawalpur, and his re-emergence in public alongside state ministers further validates India's longstanding accusation of official patronage to terrorism.Photographs and videos from the event are now circulating widely, showcasing what many experts are calling 'visual proof of Pakistan's unholy alliance with terror outfits.' At the end of the program, when Kasuri began thanking individual ministers by name, security personnel were seen signaling the media to stop filming, further revealing the state's desire to hide — but inability to contain — its covert terror affiliations.Anti-India rants, Khalistani slogans echoIn what can only be described as dangerous provocation, Amir Hamza, Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder and designated global terrorist, raised pro-Khalistan slogans from the stage. His presence and open speech signal a renewed effort by Pakistan's deep state and LeT to stoke separatism and unrest in India's Punjab.
This confirms the growing ISI-LeT propaganda nexus, using state events and official platforms to launch ideological warfare against India.Simultaneously, in Karachi and Rawalpindi, Hafiz Saeed's political front — the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) — organised multiple rallies marking Youm-e-Takbeer.
In Rawalpindi, the rally titled 'Ummah's Backbone, Strong Pakistan' moved from Press Club to Chandni Chowk. Several participants carried posters of Hafiz Saeed, Army Chief Asim Munir, and other senior defence officials — again blurring the lines between terror networks and the Pakistani establishment.Can India-Pakistan peace talks still hold ground?These developments pose an urgent question for India's policymakers: Can any peace process or dialogue proceed when Pakistan's ministers are seen embracing India's most wanted terrorists?The public glorification of terror, particularly of Saifullah Kasuri — linked to the Pahalgam massacre — is not only deeply offensive but a direct challenge to international norms on counterterrorism.Terror curtain drops in KasurThis is no longer about covert links or intelligence estimates. What happened in Kasur was caught on camera: senior Pakistani politicians embracing terror accused, giving them legitimacy, and allowing them to preach violence against India — all on a public stage.advertisementIf the world needed visual evidence of Pakistan's state-terror symbiosis, May 28 delivered it loud and clear.Pakistan can no longer play victim while nurturing villains. The time for double-speak is over.Tune InMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Operation Sindoor
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Gujarat Govt working on Operation Sindoor memorial park near Pakistan border: Report
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Gujarat is working on a memorial park dedicated to Operation Sindoor — India's precision strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir after the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack. The memorial park – a mark of respect for the defence forces – coming up in Kutch district on the India-Pakistan border – will be called 'Sindoor Van' (forest), according to a report in The Indian Express. The Kutch district of Gujarat was most affected by attacks from Pakistan. The memorial is expected to be completed in about a year and a half, and the work has already begun on the ground, the report quoted officials. 'In memory of the unity exhibited by society, Army, Air Force, BSF and other forces during Operation Sindoor, the Sindoor Van — a memorial park — is being planned by the forest department,' Kutch Collector Anand Patel told The Indian Express. India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, on 7 May in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on 8, 9 and 10 May. The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side by inflicting heavy damages to a number of key Pakistani military installations including air bases, air defence systems, command and control centres and radar sites. In memory of the unity exhibited by society, Army, Air Force, BSF and other forces during Operation Sindoor, the Sindoor Van — a memorial park — is being planned by the forest department. The memorial park will spread over eight hectares of land owned by the state forest department in Mirzapar on the Bhuj-Mandvi road. The land includes the part where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a public meeting on 26 May during his first visit to Gujarat after Operation Sindoor. The park will also have an area dedicated to the victims of the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack. Three of the 26 Pahalgam victims were from Gujarat.


Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Shashi Tharoor shuts down Trump's India-Pak claim with a flourish: ‘No one needed to persuade us'
Shashi Tharoor shuts down Trump's India-Pak claim with a flourish: 'No one needed to persuade us' "We have enormous respect for the American presidency, and we will speak with that respect in mind. But broadly speaking, our understanding is a bit different... No one needed to persuade us to stop. We had already said to stop. If there was any persuasion by the American president or his senior officials, it would have been persuasion of the Pakistanis. They would have had to be persuaded. We don't need to be persuaded because we don't want war. We want to focus on development. That's the basic message," says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, as the delegation he is leading will be in the US for its last leg of the visit. More details are being added.


News18
43 minutes ago
- News18
Pakistani Minister Backs LeT Commander Saifullah Khalid, Blames India For Pahalgam Attack
Last Updated: Pakistani politician Malik Ahmad Khan defended Saifullah Khalid, one of those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, claiming India accused him of the attack without proper probe. Days after Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and one of those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, was spotted spewing venom against India at a public rally in Pakistan's Punjab, Pakistani politician Malik Ahmad Khan has come out in his support and said Saifullah was 'blamed" for the terror attack in Pahalgam. Malik Ahmad Khan was one of those present with Saifullah during his public address on May 28. The rally had also witnessed the presence of Talha Saeed, the son of LeT founder and Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Hafiz Saeed. In a video, widely shared on social media, Malik Ahmad Khan could be seen speaking to reporters after Saifullah's rally and saying that he was invited to the rally. Khan said, 'India, without an investigation, has formed a perception that Saifullah is responsible for the terror attack in Pahalgam." 'Indian authorities got a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Saifullah within days of the Pahalgam terror attack, and there is no evidence to support their accusations," Khan said. He further accused India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being responsible for the various terror attacks in India, and reiterated that the accusations against Saifullah should be investigated. At the May 28 rally, Saifullah Khalid spewed venom against India, Hindus, and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also referred to the Pakistani terrorists killed in India's 'Operation Sindoor' as 'martyrs". 'I was informed that there was a terrorist attack in India on April 22, and later I came to know that India had referred to me as the mastermind of the attack," Khalid could be heard saying at the rally. 'We are not going to be scared by bullet shots and firing, and we aspire to die as martyrs," he added. As many as 26 tourists were killed by armed terrorists in Kashmir's iconic Pahalgam on April 22. Survivors later said the terrorists had asked them about their faith, and shot dead those who said they were non-Muslims. The terrorists also asked the tourists to recite a 'Kalma' (an Islamic phrase) to confirm if they were non-Muslims, before shooting them point-blank. Later, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, India, on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, launched 'Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan and destroyed multiple terror targets there. More than 100 terrorists, taking shelter in Pakistan, were also killed in the operation. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 03, 2025, 07:17 IST