In a significant diplomatic embarrassment for Pakistan, the country’s military spokesperson inadvertently confirmed the presence and identity of Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a US-designated terrorist and senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, during a press conference meant to downplay allegations of state support for terrorism.
Addressing the media on Sunday, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, sought to portray Rauf as an ordinary citizen. “This man is Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who is leading the prayers. He has three daughters, a son, and he was born in March 1973. You can see his family details and everything,” he stated while presenting visuals of Rauf leading funeral prayers for LeT operatives killed during India’s recent counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor.
The admission has stirred a diplomatic storm, with India immediately calling out the ISPR for inadvertently revealing the nexus between Pakistan’s state machinery and designated terrorist organisations.
In a strongly worded statement, India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) responded:
“The identity details shared by DG ISPR completely overlap with the details of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a member of LeT’s senior leadership since at least 1999 and part of the US Sanctions List.”
Hafiz Abdur Rauf is not just a long-time Lashkar member; he also led the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF)—a group banned for functioning as a front for terrorist activities. Rauf is also known to have worked closely with Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The situation grew more damning after footage surfaced showing several Pakistani officials, including senior military and police personnel, attending the funeral rites. A wreath bearing the name of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, niece of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was also visibly placed near the bodies of slain terrorists—a gesture India has described as "state-sanctioned glorification of terrorism."
Rauf's documented history matches details in the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) database. He has been listed under multiple aliases and linked to several addresses across Lahore. The database also reveals two Pakistani passports held by Rauf: CM1074131 and A7523531, issued in 2008 and expired in 2013.
Despite repeated denials, Pakistan’s own military appears to have laid bare its covert links with groups it officially calls “non-state actors.” Analysts suggest this revelation could increase pressure on Islamabad ahead of upcoming reviews by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
