Pakistan’s support for terror exposed at high-profile funeral for slain terrorists

New Delhi: In a stark revelation of its enduring support for terrorism, Pakistan held a high-profile funeral in Muridke on May 7, 2025, for over a dozen terrorists killed in India’s recent Operation Sindoor strikes. 

The ceremony, attended by Pakistan Army personnel, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives, and civil officials, has laid bare Pakistan’s deep-seated nexus with globally designated terrorist groups, despite its claims of being a victim of terrorism.

Leading the funeral prayers was Hafiz Abdul Rauf, a US-designated global terrorist and senior commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. Rauf, a key figure in Pakistan’s terror machinery, was seen at the forefront, offering prayers for the slain terrorists, identified as members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for LeT.

The ceremony, broadcast live on Pakistani news channels, featured coffins draped in the national flag, with military personnel in attendance in a blatant display of state complicity in terrorism. 

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This act starkly contradicts Pakistan’s diplomatic posturing as a nation combating terrorism, raising fresh concerns about its credibility on the global stage.

The funeral followed India’s Operation Sindoor, a series of precision missile strikes targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

The strikes, conducted in the early hours of Wednesday, targeted key terrorist hubs, including LeT’s headquarters in Muridke and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)’s stronghold in Bahawalpur, as well as camps in Sialkot, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad. 

The operation, which killed over 80 terrorists, was a direct response to the April 22 Pahalgam massacre in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians were brutally killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a cabinet meeting, hailed the strikes as a necessary response to Pakistan’s continued support for terrorist groups. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described the operation as a “moment of pride,” highlighting India’s precise and focused approach in dismantling terror infrastructure without targeting Pakistani military facilities.

The Muridke funeral, however, has exposed the true nature of Pakistan’s terror patronage. The presence of uniformed Pakistan Army personnel and ISI operatives at the event is a damning confirmation of the state’s deep-rooted support for extremist groups. 

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This is not an isolated incident but part of a decades-long pattern where terrorist groups like LeT and JeM have flourished under ISI’s protection, receiving funding, training, and logistical support to carry out attacks against India.

Muridke, located in Punjab province, has long served as the operational base for LeT, housing its sprawling Markaz-e-Taiba complex, which includes training facilities, schools, and a hospital. 

Bahawalpur, another target of India’s strikes, serves as a stronghold for JeM, which has been implicated in attacks like the 2001 Indian Parliament assault. 

Both groups have enjoyed the patronage of Pakistan’s military-intelligence complex, which uses them as proxies in its asymmetric warfare against India.

Pakistan’s attempts to portray itself as a victim of terror stand starkly contradicted by the scenes from Muridke. 

Despite being one of the largest recipients of US aid in the “war on terror,” Pakistan has repeatedly failed to dismantle these terror networks. 

Its reluctance to act against terror financiers has kept it on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, yet meaningful action against groups like LeT and JeM remains elusive.

As the images of the Muridke funeral circulate globally, they will continue to expose Pakistan’s double game of being a nation that shelters and celebrates terrorists while pleading victimhood to the world.