Latest news with #TalhaSaeed
NDTV
15 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Pak Politician Backs Pahalgam Mastermind, Shares Stage With LeT Chief's Son
Islamabad: In what could be seen as yet another evidence of Islamabad fostering terrorism on its land, a prominent Pakistani politician was seen sharing the stage with the leadership of UN-proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The incident happened in Pakistan's Punjab province, where the state's assembly speaker, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, was spotted attending a rally with LeT deputy chief Saifullah Ahmad and Talha Saeed, son of LeT chief and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Saifullah Khalid, also known as "Kasuri," is one of the masterminds of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and a US-designated terrorist. Meanwhile, Talha Saeed is the de facto head of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. When asked about his presence at the rally, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly told reporters that LeT deputy chief Kasuri "should not be seen as an accused in the Pahalgam terror attack case without an investigation." 📍 #Exclusive 🇵🇰👹 Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan defends Pahalgam mastermind Saifullah Kasuri and accuses India of being responsible for the Pahalgam terrorist attack Note : On May -28, Pak politician Malik Ahmed Khan shared the stage with Talha Saeed,… — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) June 1, 2025 "It was a political rally, and politicians from all walks of life were present there. Because I have a personal connection with the place (Kasur--the town where the May 28 rally took place), organisers also called me and I went," he said. Khan, a high-profile political figure in Pakistan, came under scrutiny after several video clips from the rally held on Wednesday (May 28) emerged on social media. In one of the footage, Talha Saeed was seen welcoming Malik Ahmad Khan on stage with other politicians. Another clip showed Kasuri calling India an enemy state ("dushman") and claimed he was "wrongfully" accused as the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack. He boasted of becoming more famous after India's charges. The event triggered security concerns among diplomatic circles, especially in India, where authorities are closely watching the development. LeT is a banned terror organisation, but the group and its affiliates continue to operate openly in Pakistan, often holding public gatherings under the guise of charity or nationalist causes. The presence of high-profile politicians at such gatherings continues to raise questions about Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism.
News18
5 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.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
'Salute On Behalf Of My Father…': Hafiz Saeed's Son Addresses 'Anti-India' Rally In Pakistan
Last Updated: Top intelligence sources said the presence of Pakistani politicians alongside Talha Saeed shows the country's institutional support of terrorism A video of UN-proscribed terrorist Talha Saeed – son of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed – has emerged in which he is purportedly inciting violence against India, during a public rally at Lahore in the presence of Pakistani politicians on stage. The video clip from the rally, which was held on Wednesday (May 28), shows Talha Saeed welcoming the speaker of the Punjab assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan, on stage along with other politicians. Posters of Field Marshal Asim Munir can also be spotted, alongside those of Hafiz Saeed. According to top intelligence sources, this shows Pakistan's institutional support of terrorism. Under the guise of appreciating 'Operation Bunyan al-Marsus', when Pakistan tested its nuclear weapons, all the extremists are back together on the same stage. The intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the presence of Talha shows that the extremists are celebrating the Pakistan Army under state sponsorship. He also named key Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Saifullah Khalid during the rally.
India Today
6 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.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan's Youm-e-Takbeer Event Exposes Nexus Between Army & LeT
Last Updated: The gathering, organised by LeT and its political front, was attended by several top leaders of the UN-designated terrorist group, including the son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed The annual Mission Youm-e-Takbeer celebrations held recently in Gujrawalan, Punjab, to officially commemorate Pakistan's nuclear deterrence against India, has drawn international scrutiny as it was attended by several top leaders of the UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including Talha Saeed, son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed. The gathering, organised by LeT and its political front, the Milli Muslim League (MML), saw the rare public appearance of senior LeT figures who had been operating underground. Talha Saeed was present alongside Saifullah Kasuri, the group's deputy chief, who had been in hiding for several days before the event. Both were under heavy security throughout the public rally in Kasur, Punjab. The celebrations were marked by the chanting of 'Death to India" slogans, reaffirming LeT's militant agenda. Public hoardings displaying images of Pakistan military leaders alongside known LeT operatives further fuelled allegations of a covert alliance between the state's military and militant groups. Top intelligence sources reveal that activities such as blood donation camps held in Allahabad and Kasur by LeT affiliates are often used as fronts to mask recruitment drives and image-building efforts. These developments have intensified concerns about a 'state-terrorist nexus," with the military allegedly providing tacit support to banned militant factions. While Pakistan's political leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, frames Youm-e-Takbeer as a symbol of national sovereignty and resilience against Indian aggression, critics argue that the celebration indirectly legitimises militant groups like LeT. Pakistan's backing of terrorist groups remains India's foremost security concern. The Pahalgam attack on April 22 highlights how Pakistani territory is being exploited to fuel instability in Kashmir and across the wider South Asian region. In an effort to win global support as well as expose Pakistan's duplicity on the war against terror, Indian envoys across the world have been reaching out to local governments as well as media outlets. 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: May 29, 2025, 11:45 IST
