State honours given to terrorists in Pakistan: India exposes the deadly alliance of Pak Army & terror hand-in-hand

The Indian armed forces held a joint press conference on Sunday, a day after the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan, to provide key details of Operation Sindoor. The briefing was led by Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of the Army, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti from the Air Force, and Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod of the Navy.

During the media interaction, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) shared striking details about a funeral held in Muridke, Pakistan. The ceremony was conducted for militants killed in Indian strikes on the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters, carried out under Operation Sindoor.

Abdul Rauf, also known as Abdur Rauf, a U.S.-designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist, led the funeral prayers. A prominent figure in LeT, Rauf is known for openly advocating the annexation of Kashmir and for his role in recruiting and training suicide bombers. His presence at the funeral, which was conducted with full state honours, underscored the depth of Pakistan’s support for designated terrorist groups.

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Senior Pakistani officials attend state funeral

The event saw attendance from key Pakistani military and government leaders. Among them were:

• Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Corps Commander, IV Corps, Lahore
• Major General Rao Imran Sartaj, GOC, 11 Infantry Division
• Brigadier Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Commander, 15 Hybrid Mechanised Brigade
• Dr Usman Anwar, Inspector General of Police, Punjab
• Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth, Member of the Provincial Assembly, Punjab

Videos from the funeral showed Rauf leading prayers for the deceased, who were draped in the Pakistani national flag, while flanked by military officers. The optics, Indian officials said, point to a tacit state endorsement of these terror elements.

Rauf and FIF’s global designations

Abdul Rauf’s terror affiliations extend beyond LeT. He has played a major role in the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), a group that operated under the guise of charity but was identified as a financing arm of the LeT. The U.S. Department of State banned FIF and designated Rauf a global terrorist on the same day, November 24, 2010, following Indian inputs after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

According to the U.S. Treasury, Rauf worked directly under LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and was responsible for the group’s finances and propaganda. Hafiz Saeed himself remains on both U.S. and UN terrorist lists.

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JeM losses and rising pressure on Pakistan

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, JeM also suffered significant losses. Abdul Rauf Azhar, operational commander of JeM and brother of Masood Azhar, was reportedly killed in the Indian strikes on Bahawalpur. Other family members of the JeM leadership are believed to have died in the same strike.

Rauf Azhar was the mastermind of the 1999 IC-814 hijacking and has played a central role in attacks including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing. Although the United Nations designated JeM and Masood Azhar, China previously blocked India’s attempts to sanction Abdul Rauf Azhar.

Also Read: India to provide latest evidence on Pakistan's complicity with terrorism to UNSC: Report

Opposition leaders and Indian officials are now calling for firm international measures. This includes pushing for TRF’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and re-listing Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Misri stressed, “It was interesting that Pakistan insisted on omitting TRF’s name from the UNSC resolution passed on April 25.”

With images, testimonies, and official briefings in hand, India is expected to rally international partners at the UN and FATF forums to hold Pakistan accountable for its continued support to terror networks, in breach of international sanctions and obligations.

Next week, the UNSCR 1267 sanctions committee will meet. We will go, armed with evidence against Pakistan's support to terrorism: Sources on how India plans to raise Pakistani terrorism at international forum.