Latest news with #PMML
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan-Backed TRF-LeT-PMML Nexus Sums Up 21st-Century Hybrid Warfare: Sources
Last Updated: This situation mirrors LeT's 2008 Mumbai attacks, executed under pseudonyms like Deccan Mujahideen, the sources said The thin line between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front (TRF) was shattered following rallies in Pakistan on May 28, Indian intelligence sources have told CNN-News18. The world must take note of these global jihadists backed by the state of Pakistan and its military leadership, they added. 'The TRF-LeT-PMML nexus epitomises 21st-century hybrid warfare, where TRF masks violence, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League spreads ideology, and the Pakistani state ensures deniability. This ecosystem is evidenced by the increasing frequency of attacks from Pahalgam to Reasi, carried out with complete deniability," said a source. This situation mirrors LeT's 2008 Mumbai attacks, executed under pseudonyms like Deccan Mujahideen, the sources said. LeT and TRF employ grey zone tactics, such as disinformation and proxy attacks, similar to Russia's hybrid warfare in Crimea, they added. 'The merging of operational roles between Lashkar and TRF marks their foray into hybrid warfare, blending kinetic terrorism with political legitimisation and state-backed impunity," a source said. 'The TRF-LeT-PMML alliance operates a successful hybrid mechanism." According to the sources, TRF functions as LeT's operational front, claiming attacks like the Pahalgam massacre, where 26 people, mostly Indian Hindus, were killed, providing LeT with deniability. Saifullah Khalid later boasted about the Pahalgam attack at a Pakistan Markazi Muslim League rally, claiming global recognition. PMML rallies are attended by LeT leaders, such as Saifullah Khalid (PMML president) and Talha Saeed (son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed), said sources. This illustrates the merging of terrorist ideology with mainstream politics, with even the Punjab assembly speaker present on stage, they added. 'They have state approval to celebrate events like Youm-e-Takbeer, Pakistan's nuclear test day, which grants LeT legitimacy while laundering recruitment and funding through activities like blood donation camps," a source told CNN-News18. 'LeT finances TRF operations via PMML front companies and charities like Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). Earlier US treasury designations confirm PMML as an LeT alias. Gulf donations often reach Pakistan, where ISI allocates significant funds to TRF and LeT for operations in Kashmir. TRF and LeT operate in phases, as seen in the Pahalgam attack. Phase 1: TRF claimed responsibility, framing the attack as indigenous resistance. Phase 2: LeT validation, with Khalid admitting the role at a PMML rally, and Indian intelligence tracing attackers to LeT safe houses." In June 2024, TRF claimed a bus attack on Hindu pilgrims in Reasi, but forensic analysis linked the weapons to LeT smuggling networks. This tactic of targeting minorities to incite communal conflict is similar to LeT's 2008 Mumbai strategy, said sources. Post-2019, when India abrogated Article 370 sections in Jammu and Kashmir, LeT created TRF as a secular front, sources said. Despite the branding, 80% of TRF cadres are trained in LeT's Pakistani camps, they added.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
As India exposes Pakistan globally, its ministers seen sharing stage with Lashkar terrorists
Despite Pakistan's repeated denial of any links to terrorism or of sheltering terrorists, a recent event in Punjab province on May 29 told a different story. Several Pakistani ministers were seen sharing the stage with individuals listed among the world's most wanted terrorists. The public event in Kasur in Pakistan's Punjab, organised by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), was held to mark Youm-e-Takbeer. Close aides of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, food minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, were purportedly seen sitting beside Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders Saifullah Kasuri, Talha Saeed, who is the son of Hafiz Saeed, and Amir Hamza. The speeches at the gathering saw designated terrorists and ministers spewing hate at India, including the mention of the Pahalgam attack by Kasuri. The Pakistani ministers were seen greeting and welcoming the extremists onto the stage and interacting with them at the Kasur event. According to an India Today report, Pakistan minister Malik Rasheed publicly equated terror figures with national identity, stating that in today's time, Pakistanis are represented by the likes of Hafiz Saeed and Saifullah Kasuri. Rasheed even announced that the Shehbaz Sharif-Pakistan government would offer a job to Lashkar commander Mudasir's brother after the LeT militant was killed in India's airstrike on the terror outfit's headquarters in Muridke. Saifullah Kasuri, believed to have coordinated the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 persons, surprisingly appeared at this PMML rally. The Indian government attributed the Pahalgam terror attack to LeT's proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF). The LeT commander did not only purportedly raise anti-India slogans but also hailed terrorists killed during India's Operation Sindoor as "martyrs". At the rally, Kasuri is heard saying, "India labelled me the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack while I was busy taking part in events and people's happiness took the name 'Kasur', 'Kasuri', so many times that now the entire world knows me as famous." couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the videos. Kasuri was reportedly believed to have been given shelter by the Pakistani spy agency ISI in Bahawalpur. Amir Hamza, a US-designated terrorist and co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was also present at the rally in Kasur. He delivered anti-India speeches and raised slogans at the event. Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui shared a video of Hamza on X, where he is heard saying, "Kashmir will become Pakistan, Jammu will become Pakistan, Indian Punjab will become Khalistan." These collaborative appearances between Pakistan's ministers and extremists only cement the global belief of the growing nexus between ISI and terror organisations. Meanwhile, PMML organised rallies in Karachi and Rawalpindi as well, to witness the Youm-e-Takbeer day. Terrorists were seen openly gathering in Kasur, carrying holders and billboards of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Hafiz Saeed. PMML organised another rally in Gujranwala to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear test on May 28, wherein LeT commander and US-designated terrorist Muzammil Hashmi sent a message to "his enemy". "Listen carefully, you threaten us with your bullets. Modi, we are giving you a message that when our children did not get afraid of your missiles, how will we fear your bullets," Hashmi was purportedly heard saying at the event. He further said that neither could India's elders make us afraid, nor can you (Modi). Hashmi said that Pakistan is a country that never forgives its enemies. Pakistan has repeatedly denied sheltering terror outfits and terrorists while blaming India for accusing it of encouraging cross-border terrorism. These purported photos and videos of the militants with Islamabad's politicians are proof enough to indicate the growing nexus between them. India's all-party delegations have been visiting the nation's international partner countries over the past week, briefing them about New Delhi's stance on terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. From the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation to that led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, the teams, with members cutting across party lines, have exposed Pakistan and its links to terror outfits. Recently in Panama, the Tharoor-led delegation met with the country's President and foreign minister, and showed them pictures of Pakistani Army officials at the funeral of UN-designated terrorists who were killed during Operation Sindoor. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the delegation led by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, on Thursday said that there is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement with terrorism. Exposing Islamabad, Owaisi pointed out the promotion of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir as Field Marshal and how a US-designated terrorist was seen sitting beside him at a celebratory event. Similary, all 7 delegations have been exposing Pakistan's links with terror outfits and terrorists.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hafiz Saeed-linked outfit holds massive rallies backing Pakistan military: Report
Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), the political offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, held rallies in over 50 Pakistani cities to express its support to the country's military. As per a PTI report, these rallies were conducted with the support of the federal, Punjab and Sindh governments and most of them happened in the country's Punjab province. Also read | Shehbaz Sharif's big admission: 'India's BrahMos foiled Pakistan's planned offensive' Other cities where the PMML held rallies include Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Mianwali, Sialkot, Narowal, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Rawalpindi, Nankana Sahib, Hyderabad and Sukkur. Speaking at one of the rallies, the president of the outfit, Khalid Masood Sindhu, said, 'On Youm-e-Takbeer (May 28), the entire nation stands with the Pakistan armed forces as on that day 27 years ago (1998), Pakistan became a nuclear power.' On May 28, 1998, Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests inside a deeply dug tunnel in the remote Chaghi mountain of Balochistan province and declared itself a nuclear power. Also read | In 4 days, India's 'Operation Sindoor' caused massive damage in Pakistan The outfit became active across the country after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22 and launched several protests against New Delhi. After the two countries arrived at a ceasefire on May 10 following a brief armed conflict, the outfit conducted several anti-India rallies and expressed support for the Pakistan military and the army chief, Asim Munir. Recently, he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, which is considered to be the highest rank in the country. PMML also held a 'Kisan March' recently in Lahore to protest India's decision to suspend water sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty. 'We will not remain silent in the face of violation of the Indus Waters Treaty,' the PMML President had said.
India Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
LeT commander behind Pahalgam attack resurfaces at anti-India rally in Pakistan
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah Kasuri, the alleged mastermind behind the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, resurfaced in public on Wednesday, sharing a stage with Pakistani political leaders and other wanted terrorists at a political rally, organised by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) to mark Youm-e-Takbeer, Pakistan's annual commemoration of its nuclear tests, featured inflammatory speeches and anti-India slogans. Among those present was Talha Saeed, son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and a designated terrorist by was blamed as being the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, now my name is famous in the entire world,' Kasuri said at the rally in Kasoor in Punjab province. He is believed to have coordinated the brutal assault on the scenic Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, where terrorists belonging to The Resistance Front, a proxy for the Pakistan-based LeT, gunned down 26 people, mostly Hindu the crowd, Kasuri—also known by his alias Khalid—announced plans to build a centre, road, and hospital in Allahabad in the name of 'Mudassir Shaheed.' According to intelligence sources, Mudassir Ahmad was one of several high-profile terror operatives eliminated in India's retaliatory Operation Sindoor strikes following the Pahalgam rally saw Talha Saeed, ranked 32nd on India's most wanted terrorist list, deliver a fiery address filled with jihadist slogans and 'Naara-e-Takbeer.' advertisementSaeed, who ran unsuccessfully for Parliament from Lahore's NA-122 seat in Pakistan's 2024 general elections, has continued his public association with the PMML, widely regarded as a political front for the banned PMML has ramped up its anti-India rhetoric in recent weeks, staging protests across major Pakistani cities—Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and others—calling for Hafiz Saeed's release and accusing India of 'water aggression' for suspending the Indus Waters LeT remains banned both internationally and within Pakistan, groups like the PMML have enabled its leadership to retain political and ideological relevance. Hafiz Saeed, the UN-designated terrorist who masterminded the 2008 Mumbai attacks, is still seen as the ideological force behind the PMML's has strongly condemned Pakistan for mainstreaming terrorism, particularly in the wake of Operation Sindoor, which eliminated multiple high-value LeT-linked targets, including Yusuf Azhar, Abdul Malik Rauf, and Mudassir Ahmad—individuals implicated in the IC-814 hijacking and Pulwama bombing.
Economic Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Pakistan govt assures to rebuild Muridke's JuD headquarters destroyed in Indian strike
ANI FILE: Terror hotbed in Muridke turns into rubble after India's strike Pakistan government has assured to rebuild the mosques -- the JuD headquarters -- at Muridke destroyed in the Indian strike, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League said on Saturday. The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) is a political wing of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) and is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has carried out terror strikes in many parts of India, including the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008. As part of the Operation Sindoor, Indian military carried out missile strikes on May 7 on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) stronghold of Bahawalpur and the LeT's base at Muridke in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Pakistan claims it was a mosque and an educational complex that were hit in the strikes at Muridke, located at about 40 kms from Lahore. Three JuD activists were killed and a controversy erupted when the Pakistan Army, police and civilian bureaucracy senior officers attended their funeral. "The government has announced to rebuild the mosques destroyed in the Indian attack. It is a welcoming step," PMML president Khalid Masood Sindhu said in a statement. Pakistan's armed forces had claimed to have "delivered precise and notch-up retributive strikes" through Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response to India's Operation Sindoor. "The success of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos sends a clear message to India that Pakistan knows how to defend its homeland," Sindhu said. "We have not forgotten, nor will we ever forget, the martyrs of our nation. Every worker of the PMML stands vigilant and ever-ready to defend the country." India on Friday pressed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reconsider its USD one billion assistance to Pakistan, saying Islamabad could use a large part of it to fund the terrorist infrastructure. The IMF in its board meeting in Washington on May 9 had cleared a USD one billion tranche for Pakistan as part of its USD 7-billion funding programme for the country. In his address to air warriors at Gujarat's Bhuj Air Force station, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan has again started trying to rebuild the terror infrastructure destroyed by India last week. Islamabad will "spend the money collected from the common citizens of Pakistan to pay around Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar, the head of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad" and a UN designated terrorist. "The Pakistan government has announced financial assistance to rebuild the terror infrastructure of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed located in Muridke and Bahawalpur. Certainly, a large part of IMF's USD one billion assistance will be used to fund the terror infrastructure," Singh said. Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami former chief Siraj-ul visited the Jamia Masjid Umm al-Qura (JuD headquarters) at Muridke and condemned the Indian attack. He said India fired four missiles on the mosque and the educational complex in Muridke (JuD headquarters) destroying the mosque, homes, and hostel. Despite this, the spirit and resolve of the local population remain high, he said.
