Who is Hafiz Abdul Rauf, man leading funeral of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor?
In an attempt to downplay a notorious terrorist's profile and portray him as a "common man", Pakistan inadvertently confirmed the identity and presence of Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a US-designated terrorist and senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, on its soil.
At a press conference, Pakistan's Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, attempted to portray Rauf as a common man with "three daughters, son" who had led the prayers of terrorists killed at the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Mudrike, Pakistan's Punjab, during India's Operation Sindoor.
"This man is Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who is leading the prayers. He has three daughters, a son, and he was born in March 1973. You can see his family details and everything," Chaudhry had said in a presentation during a press conference on Sunday, in which he had shown Rauf's details.
India flags terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf's identity
India was quick to respond and pointed out the nexus of the Pakistani state and terrorists operating on its soil when it flashed the photograph of Rauf leading the funeral prayers of slain terrorists.
"The identity details shared by DG ISPR completely overlap with the details of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a member of LeT's senior leadership since at least 1999 and part of the US Sanctions List," a statement from the Press Information Bureau said on Monday.
Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a US-designated terrorist, has been an active member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 1999 and the chief of the banned Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
He is believed to be a close associate of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, Hafiz Saeed.
The funeral ceremony of terrorists was attended by senior Pakistani military and police officials, and even featured a wreath from Pakistan's Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, who is also Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's niece.
The US sanctions database paints a more complete picture of Rauf's footprint in Pakistan.
Listed under multiple aliases, Rauf is linked to several addresses across Lahore, including 4 Lake Road, Choburji Dola Khurd, Jinnah Block, and Chamberlain Road.
He also held Pakistani passports CM1074131 and A7523531, issued in 2008 and expired in 2013.
These details match the details about Rauf given in the database of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department, which maintains a list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list ("SDN List").
With PTI inputs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
37 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Why was Sharmistha Panoli arrested? Kolkata Police's clarification amid row
The Kolkata police, being panned for arresting social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, have claimed that the controversial action was taken after " duly investigating and adhering to legal procedures". The police claimed they acted lawfully against the 22-year-old woman as she had been sharing offensive content that promoted communal hatred. The police said Sharmistha Panoli wasn't arrested for expressing patriotism or personal belief. "Kolkata Police acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law. The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities," Kolkata Police posted on Facebook on Sunday. The police said all legal procedures laid down by the law were adhered to. They claimed in a post on Facebook on Sunday that they had issued notices to the influencer but she was allegedly found to be absconding. "Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon during the day. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate Magistrate and was granted transit remand as per due process of law. Later, the court sent her to judicial custody," it said. Also read: Who is Sharmishta Panoli, Instagram influencer held for controversial remarks linked to Op Sindoor? In her videos, Panoli had called out Bollywood actors for being silent on Operation Sindoor. The police termed the narrative claiming she was arrested unlawfully, "mischievous and misleading". "Some social media accounts are spreading false information that Kolkata Police has unlawfully arrested a law student for opposing Pakistan. This narrative is mischievous and misleading," the Kolkata Police added. They said they had filed a case on allegations that she posted a video which was "insulting to the religious belief of a class of citizens of India and amounted to promoting disharmony and hatred between different communities". Hate speech and abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, the Kolkata Police stated. BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar has alleged that the police's action was rooted in the state government's policy of appeasement and "vote-bank vendetta". "Sharmistha Panoli, 22, a law student, arrested for a now-deleted video and a public apology. No riots. No unrest. Yet Mamata Banerjee's police acted overnight — not for justice, but for appeasement. But when TMC leaders insult Sanatan Dharma… mock Maha Kumbh and push communal poison — there's no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is vote-bank vendetta," Majumdar posted. With inputs from PTI
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Wait and watch…': India, US working to give preferential market access to businesses, says Piyush Goyal on trade deal
"Both the US and India share good relations and we will continue to work together to resolve issues," Piyush Goyal said. (AI image) India-US trade deal: India and the United States aim to provide preferential market access to their respective businesses, with teams from both nations actively collaborating on the proposed bilateral trade agreement, according to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal . "Both countries are committed to work together, both countries desire to give preferential access to each other's businesses and we are working towards the bilateral trade agreement," Goyal told reporters in Paris according to a PTI report. Regarding Trump's announcement to increase tariffs on steel and aluminium to 50 per cent, Goyal indicated that both nations would continue their bilateral efforts to address these matters. "Let us wait and watch ...both the US and India share good relations and we will continue to work together to resolve all these issues bilaterally," he said. Also Read | Will the Donald Trump administration be forced to give billions of dollars in tariff refunds? A delegation of US representatives is currently in India for talks regarding the proposed interim trade arrangement between both nations. The timing of this visit is crucial as both countries are expected to reach an interim trade agreement by June end, with India seeking complete exemption from the 26 per cent reciprocal duty on domestic products. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The Indian chief negotiator, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, completed his four-day diplomatic mission to Washington last month. He engaged in discussions with his American counterpart regarding the proposed agreement. Goyal also visited Washington to accelerate the trade negotiations. In February, US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled plans to negotiate the initial phase of a mutually advantageous, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement by fall (September-October) of 2025. The agreement seeks to increase bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, up from the present $191 billion. Also Read | 'Work of fiction…': Will Donald Trump bury US government in debt with multitrillion-dollar tax breaks? Even Elon Musk is concerned According to trade experts, the Trump administration's additional import duty increase would affect Indian exporters, particularly those involved in value-added and finished steel products and automotive components. On May 30, Trump declared a doubling of current 25% duties on steel and aluminium imports effective June 4. The initial implementation of this provision by Trump in 2018 established 25% duty on steel and 10% on aluminium. The aluminium tariffs were increased to 25% in February 2025. During 2024-25, Indian exports of iron, steel, and aluminium products to the US totalled $4.56 billion, comprising $587.5 million in iron and steel, $3.1 billion in iron or steel articles, and $860 million in aluminium and related items. India has submitted an official notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), maintaining its position to implement countervailing duties on US products in response to previous steel tariffs. The United States maintained its position as India's main trading partner for the fourth successive year in 2024-25, with two-way trade reaching $131.84 billion. The US contributes approximately 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent of imports, and 10.73 per cent of the nation's overall merchandise trade. Also Read | 'Way better to take 25% tariff hit…': Apple exports 2.9 million iPhones from India to US despite Trump's pressure; China sees big fall Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Amid India-Pakistan Tensions, videos of several Pakistani influencers including Mathira, Minahil to Imsha, leak online
Mathira Khan's video gets leaked Kanwal Aftab's Video also went viral Live Events India banned several Pakistan influencers during Operation Sindoor (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, several Pakistani influencers have been hit by a series of scandals. Over the past few days, private videos of several popular Pakistani social media stars have surfaced on the internet. These leaked videos have gone viral and are being widely discussed across various between India and Pakistan have been rising again following a recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. In response to the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor , targeting terror camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and parts of controversy started with TikTok stars Minahil Malik and Imsha Rehman, whose private videos began circulating online. Both influencers have a large following on platforms like TikTok and after, videos allegedly involving well-known television personality and model Mathira Khan also appeared online. Mathira is a familiar face in Pakistan's entertainment industry and has been part of many talk shows, music videos, and events. The leaked content has once again raised concerns about how easily personal data can be exposed and recently, videos of popular TikTok star Kanwal Aftab have also gone viral. Kanwal is among the most followed influencers in Pakistan, known for her short comedy videos, lifestyle content, and public appearances. Her name, trending online following the leak, has added to the growing list of Pakistani influencers affected by such scandals. These back-to-back leaks have left Pakistan's digital influencer community the Pahalgam terror attack , India also blocked the YouTube and Instagram accounts of several Pakistani influencers and celebrities in the country. This includes popular names like Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Anam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, and Imran addition to these personalities, several Pakistani news channels have also been blocked in India. These include Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News.
