Pakistan calls US-designated terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who led funeral of terrorists killed by India, 'a common family man'
Pakistan's military has denied claims that
Hafiz Abdur Rauf
, a US-designated terrorist, led the funeral of militants killed in recent
Indian airstrikes
as a terrorist. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), said Rauf is a religious figure and 'a common family man.'
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The statement came after images from the funeral in Muridke, near Lahore, showed Rauf surrounded by high-ranking
Pakistan Army
officers. This led to questions about the involvement of a globally sanctioned individual in a formal ceremony conducted with military protocol.
Pak military shares identity card details
To support its claim, the Pakistani military showed what it said was Rauf's National Identity Card, which listed him as an official of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) and the head of its welfare wing. However, the details released — including his CNIC number (35202-5400413-9) and date of birth (March 25, 1973) — match the records on the US Treasury Department's sanctions list.
Who is Hafiz Abdur Rauf?
Rauf is a known senior member of
Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT), a group responsible for multiple
terror attacks
, and headed Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), LeT's charity front now banned. Both LeT and FIF are designated as terrorist organisations by the US and the United Nations.
Over the years, Rauf has held several positions in LeT. The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said he worked as Director of Public Service in 2003 and as Director of Humanitarian Relief in 2008. He was also in charge of LeT's charitable wings, Idara Khidmat-e-Khalq (IKK) and later FIF.
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Indian strikes hit terror facilities across PoK and Pakistan
Operation Sindoor targeted multiple sites across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and Pakistan. Locations hit in PoK included Sawal Nala, Syedna Bilal, Gulpur, Barnala, and Abbas. In Pakistan, the strikes were carried out in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Sarjal, and Mehmoona Joya.
21 terror installations identified
According to the Ministry of Defence, Indian forces had identified 21 active terror installations before the operation. These included facilities in Sawal Nala, Syedna Bilal, Maskar-e-Aqsa, Chelabandi, Abdullah bin Masood, Dulai, Garhi Habibullah, Batrasi, Balakot, Oghi, Boi, Sensa, Gulpur, Kotli, Barali, Dungi, Barnala, Mehmoona Joya, Sarjal, Muridke, and Bahawalpur.
Key militants killed in India's precision strikes in Pakistan
The operation led to the elimination of several high-profile militants. Khalid Abu Akasha, a trained Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, was among them. He was known for moving weapons from Afghanistan to Pakistan and had been working at LeT's central unit in Muridke. He had links with senior LeT members including Yahya Mujahid, Qari Yakub Sheikh, and Abdul Rehman.
Another figure killed was Mudassir Khadian Khas, who managed the Muridke camp. He worked closely with Hafiz Abdur Rauf and served as his security head. He also had links to PMML's General Secretary, Hafiz Khalid Waleed, and was related to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed.
In Syedna Bilal camp, Indian forces eliminated Mohammad Hassan Khan, son of JeM commander Mufti Asghar Khan Kashmiri. Khan had been part of the 2019 Pulwama attack and took part in key meetings in Islamabad.
In Bahawalpur, Hafiz Muhammed Jameel was killed. He was JeM founder Masood Azhar's brother-in-law and held a senior leadership role. As per the defence ministry, he supervised operations, recruited youth from PoK, and helped collect funds for the group.
Pakistan Gave State Funeral for Terrorist
The funeral, held on May 8, was not a low-profile event. Images showed coffins wrapped in the national flag, military officers standing behind Rauf, and state security at the site. According to news agency IANS, officers present included Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, Brig Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar, and provincial MLA Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth.
'They claim that only civilians were killed in the strikes on the 7th of May. We have made the point very clearly that all attacks on the morning of 7th May were against carefully selected terrorist infrastructure, terrorist targets,' Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said at a press briefing in New Delhi.
Abdul Rauf Azhar: History of terror links
Though Pakistani officials tried to shift focus by comparing Rauf to Abdul Rauf Azhar — the brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar — their records differ.
Abdur Rauf has been active in LeT's propaganda and financial arms since the early 2000s. He publicly supported LeT-affiliated organisations even after Pakistan banned them. In 2009, he led FIF's fundraising visit to Bajaur, where LeT operated both relief and recruitment efforts.
The United States sanctioned him and FIF in 2010 following information from Indian intelligence after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The UN Sanctions Committee also lists both FIF and LeT, along with LeT founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, as terror-linked entities.
Despite these international sanctions, Rauf continues to operate publicly in Pakistan.
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