Pakistan has tried to brush aside the allegation that Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who recently conducted the funeral of terrorists killed in the Operation Sindoor attacks, is a US-listed global terrorist and a top LeT leader. Rather, Pakistan called him "a common family man."
The funeral, where Pakistan's top military officials were in attendance, was adorned with coffins covered with Pakistan's national flag, which Indian officials saw as open proof that Pakistan was standing in support of terrorism.
During a press conference in New Delhi, Indian authorities showed a picture of Rauf at the head of the funeral procession, accompanied by Pakistan Army officers in uniform. The photo has since become viral, triggering widespread outrage and debate. Rauf, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, is designated by the US Treasury as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under OFAC sanctions for his role in overseeing LeT finances and propaganda.
Pakistan's military sought to downsize the matter by characterizing Rauf as a "common family man" and a "preacher," producing his national identity card to the media to establish him as a civilian. But official documents, such as Rauf's CNIC number (35202-5400413-9) and date of birth (March 25, 1973), match those recorded in the US sanctions.
Speaking on Operation Sindoor at a press briefing, India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri posed some questions over the narrative offered by Pakistan and displaying the accusatory photo responded, "They tell us that no civilians were harmed in the bombing on May 7. We have firmly stated that all that was targeting extremely carefully picked out terrorist targets, terrorist infrastructure?"
The Pakistani army then complicated matters by confusing Hafiz Abdur Rauf with Abdul Rauf Azhar, another of Masood Azhar's brothers and a top Jaish-e-Mohammed commander who was apparently killed in Operation Sindoor. They asked how a person announced dead by India could preside over a funeral later the same day. Yet the two are distinct, both on global watchlists, and both deeply embedded in Pakistan's terror network.
Rauf Azhar, JeM’s operations chief, was integral to several high-profile terrorist attacks, including the 1999 IC-814 hijacking, the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
The attendance of senior Pakistani army officials at the funeral provided evidence of institutional backing for terrorism. The list of attendants included Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Corps Commander, IV Corps, Lahore; Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, GOC, 11 Infantry Division; Brig Mohammad Furqan Shabbir, Commander, 15 Hybrid Mechanised Brigade; Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar; and Punjab MLA Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth.
As per the US Treasury, Hafiz Abdur Rauf directly operated with LeT chief Hafiz Saeed, who was in charge of fundraising and training activities. He has also been a leading member of the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), a LeT front group posing as a charity to support terrorism. FIF and Rauf were both sanctioned by the US on November 24, 2010, based on intelligence collected after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The pictures of the Muridke funeral, where the funeral was conducted, were of an official state function, rather than a personal religious ceremony. Indian Foreign Secretary Misri pointed out this irony at the briefing, mentioning the incongruity between Pakistan's assertions of civilian casualties and the disturbing sight of Rauf conducting the funeral of the LeT terrorists martyred in Indian air strikes on May 7.
This event once again indicates Pakistan's continued shielding of sanctioned terror organizations and its contributions to the support of terrorism.
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