Pakistan accidentally admitted that a well-known terrorist, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, is living in the country while trying to make him seem like an ordinary person.
During a press conference, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s army,Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Rauf was just a “common man” with a family of “three daughters and a son.” He also said that Rauf led the funeral prayers for terrorists who were killed at the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) headquarters in Mudrike, Punjab, during India’s Operation Sindoor.
However, by saying this, Pakistan confirmed that Rauf a senior member of the LeT and listed as a terrorist by the US – is indeed in Pakistan.
At a press conference on Sunday, Pakistan’s army spokesperson, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, showed a presentation and said, “This man 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.”
India Exposes Hafiz Abdur Rauf’s Presence in Pakistan
India quickly reacted and pointed out that this proved the connection between the Pakistani government and terrorists living in the country. India also showed a photo of Rauf leading the funeral prayers for the terrorists who were killed.
“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,” the Press Information Bureau said in a statement on Monday.
Who is Hafiz Abdur Rauf and Why is He Significant?
Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a US-designated terrorist, has been an active member of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 1999 and the chief of the banned Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).
He is believed to be a close associate of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, Hafiz Saeed.
The funeral ceremony of terrorists was attended by senior Pakistani military and police officials, and even featured a wreath from Pakistan’s Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, who is also Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s niece.
The US sanctions database paints a more complete picture of Rauf’s footprint in Pakistan.
Hafiz Abdur Rauf is known by several different names and is linked to many addresses in Lahore, such as 4 Lake Road, Choburji Dola Khurd, Jinnah Block, and Chamberlain Road.
He also had two Pakistani passports CM1074131 and A7523531 which were issued in 2008 and expired in 2013.
These details match the information about Rauf found in the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) database. He is listed there as a Specially Designated National, which means he is on a list of people with ties to terrorism or other threats.
