Islamabad: Videos have emerged showing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including the outfit’s deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri, attending the funeral of former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar’s brother in Pakistan’s Islamabad.
This reveals how members of the outfit – designated a global terrorist organisation by the United Nations – have a free run in Pakistan. It also highlights the nexus between such outfits and people from all sections of society, including cricketers.
Saifullah, who is known for his provocative anti-India remarks, attended the the funeral of Shoaib’s elder brother Shahid Akhtar, who passed away on June 24.
Several leaders of LeT, responsible for some of the deadliest terror attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the Pahalgam carnage, are seen attending the funeral at the H-8 graveyard in Islamabad, in the video that has now gone viral.
Inam Ur Rehman, president of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), LeT’s political front, can also be seen in the video.
LeT chief and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed essentially formed the PMML as a surrogate to circumvent international and domestic bans on his outfits, like the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Milli Muslim League (MML). The PMML also contested the 2024 Pakistani elections.
The movement of Kasuri and other terrorists in full public view once again exposes Pakistan’s continued support and patronage of anti-India elements.
Several of Kasuri’s provocative speeches went viral after the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2026, which left 26 innocents dead.
India retaliated by launching Operation Sindoor, in which the LeT’s headquarters in Muridke was also struck. The attacks rattled the LeT and other terror outfits. An unnerved Kasuri continued to make inflammatory remarks against India thereafter, warning of another 26/11-style strike via the sea route, as reported by India Today.
In February this year, a video emerged, showing Kasuri making open threats to India, asserting that there would be no space left for the “enemy” on land, air, or sea.
The terrorist also accused India of “water terrorism” – a likely reference to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty – and threatened that pressure in Kashmir would be answered with unrest elsewhere.
Kasuri is seen admitting in another video that the Pakistan Army tacitly supports outfits like the LeT. He is heard saying that the army often invites him to its events and also to lead funeral prayers for its soldiers.
“The (Pakistan) army invites me to lead funeral prayers. Do you know India is also scared of me?” the Lashkar terrorist is heard saying in the video.
