LeT Commander and Alleged Pahalgam Terror Attack Mastermind Saifullah Kasuri Spotted at Public Rally in Pakistan; Sparks Outrage Over Links Between Terrorists and Politicians

In a deeply concerning development, Saifullah Kasuri, a top commander of the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the alleged mastermind behind the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, was recently spotted participating in a public rally in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

The rally was reportedly organized by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political outfit, and has triggered serious questions about the close nexus between political figures in Pakistan and known terrorist leaders.

According to a report published by India Today, Saifullah Kasuri was not only present at the rally but also shared the stage with Malik Ahmad Khan, a prominent Pakistani politician.

In what observers are calling a disturbing example of the normalization of extremist elements in Pakistan’s public and political spaces, Kasuri was seen openly addressing the crowd and raising slogans that were both anti-India and jihadist in nature.

Videos from the event, now circulating widely online, show him glorifying acts of terrorism and inciting religious extremism.

Adding further gravity to the situation, Talha Saeed—the son of LeT founder and UN-designated global terrorist Hafiz Saeed—was also reportedly present at the same rally.

His appearance alongside Kasuri lends further credence to the belief that top terrorist operatives continue to enjoy freedom of movement and open platforms for propaganda in Pakistan, under the apparent protection or at least tolerance of political entities.

Saifullah Kasuri is suspected to have played a central role in orchestrating the brutal April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which militants from The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy group and offshoot of LeT, brutally killed 26 individuals.

Though TRF initially claimed responsibility, the group later withdrew its statement. The attack caused a major spike in tensions between India and Pakistan, prompting swift retaliation from the Indian armed forces.

In the wake of the massacre, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting and eliminating several terrorist positions at nine strategic locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

These strikes were part of a larger counter-terrorism initiative to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border.

During his inflammatory speech at the PMML rally in Lahore, Kasuri reportedly boasted about his notoriety. According to India Today, he said, “I was blamed as the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Now my name is known around the world.” He went on to glorify terrorist acts, stating, “We are not afraid of bullets and firing; we aspire to die as martyrs.”

According to a report from Hindustan Times, he also referred to the terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor as “martyrs,” further reinforcing his deep ideological commitment to extremist violence.

Kasuri, who serves as the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, is known to have close ties with Hafiz Saeed and is considered one of the group’s most influential leaders.

According to a report by News18, in preparation for the Pahalgam attack, Kasuri is believed to have arrived in Kanganpur, a locality in Pakistan’s Punjab province, two months earlier. Kanganpur is known to have a heavy presence of the Pakistani Army, suggesting possible tacit support or at least negligence in monitoring terrorist activity.

Sources allege that Kasuri has been involved in recruiting and radicalizing Pakistani youth, particularly through emotionally charged jihadi speeches.

He is believed to be a valuable asset to the Pakistani military establishment, often used to promote proxy warfare under the guise of ideological and religious motivations.

The presence of high-profile terrorist figures like Kasuri and Talha Saeed at a mainstream political rally has once again spotlighted Pakistan’s failure to act against terrorism and its apparent double standards on tackling extremist ideologies.

The incident is likely to further strain already fragile Indo-Pak relations, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy and India’s subsequent military response.

As the global community continues to monitor developments in South Asia, the growing alignment between political actors and terrorist leadership in Pakistan may trigger renewed calls for international scrutiny, sanctions, or further action against state-supported terrorism.