In a development that underscores the enduring and troubling links between Pakistan’s state apparatus and internationally proscribed terrorist organisations, senior figures from both the Pakistan Army and the civilian administration were recently seen publicly paying homage to a slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative. The incident took place in full public view, raising fresh questions about Islamabad’s commitment to fighting terrorism. The LeT member in question, Mudasir Ahmed, had been killed earlier this year in an Indian counterterrorism strike.
On August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, a high-profile delegation visited Mudasir Ahmed’s grave in Muridke, Lahore. Among those present was Major General Rao Imran Sartaj, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Lahore Division. He was accompanied by Federal Minister Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan, District Police Officer Kasoor Muhammad Isa Khan, and Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali. Their presence at the grave was widely interpreted as a symbolic gesture of respect toward an individual long associated with some of the deadliest terrorist plots against India.
Mudasir Ahmed was not an ordinary operative. He was a high-value Lashkar-e-Taiba figure linked to multiple acts of terror, including the infamous hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 and the devastating Pulwama attack in 2019 that claimed the lives of 40 Indian security personnel. His death occurred during “Operation Sindoor,” an Indian Air Force strike that targeted Markaz Taiba, the LeT’s headquarters in Muridke.
The Indian operation also resulted in the deaths of several other senior LeT figures who had evaded capture for years. These included Yusuf Azhar and Abdul Malik Rauf, both of whom were deeply involved in planning and executing major terrorist operations against India. Their elimination was hailed by Indian security agencies as a significant blow to the group’s operational capabilities.
Mudasir’s funeral, held on May 7 in his hometown of Muridke, was a spectacle in itself. It was led by Abdul Rauf, also known as Abdur Rauf, a Lashkar commander who has been designated a global terrorist by the United States Treasury and remains under international sanctions. Photographs and video footage from the ceremony show senior Pakistan Army officers and the Punjab Inspector General of Police participating in the funeral prayers alongside armed Lashkar cadres — a striking visual contradiction to Pakistan’s professed anti-terrorism stance.
The images and videos emerging from both the funeral and the recent grave visit lay bare Pakistan’s persistent double-speak on counterterrorism. While officials in Islamabad continue to assure the international community that they are committed to dismantling terror networks, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Public gestures such as showering flower petals on coffins, attending funerals of UN- and US-designated terrorists, and offering ceremonial respect send an entirely opposite message.
For many observers, these acts are yet another indication of the deep-rooted nexus between elements of Pakistan’s security establishment and banned militant outfits. Despite international pressure, including repeated warnings from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the pattern appears unbroken. The open display of reverence for individuals like Mudasir Ahmed signals that, far from dismantling these networks, influential sections within Pakistan’s military and political elite remain invested in maintaining their ties.
