Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders attend funeral of Shoaib Akhtar’s brother in Islamabad: Report

Senior members of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), including its deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri, were seen attending the funeral of former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar’s elder brother, Shahid Akhtar, in Islamabad, according to IANS.Shahid Akhtar, who died on June 24, was laid to rest at the H-8 graveyard in Islamabad. Videos from the funeral, which have since gone viral on social media, purportedly show Saifullah Kasuri and several other individuals associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba attending the funeral prayers, the report said.Also present at the ceremony was Inam Ur Rehman, president of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), which is widely regarded as the political front of Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to IANS. The PMML was formed by UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed after his earlier organisations, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Milli Muslim League (MML), came under international and domestic sanctions.The presence of senior Lashkar functionaries at a public funeral has once again drawn attention to the continued visibility of members of proscribed terror organisations in Pakistan. Analysts quoted by IANS said the incident raises fresh concerns over the operational space available to banned terrorist groups and their influence within Pakistan’s political and social landscape.Kasuri, the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba, has repeatedly made anti-India statements and has been linked to provocative speeches following the April terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists.Following the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to Indian authorities, the operation destroyed several terror facilities, including Lashkar-e-Taiba’s headquarters in Muridke, besides striking military installations from Rawalpindi to Sukkur.

The operation significantly disrupted the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistan-based terror groups. However, IANS reported that Kasuri has continued issuing threats against India, including warnings of another Mumbai-style terrorist attack through the sea route.In a video that surfaced in February this year, Kasuri allegedly threatened India, claiming there would be no space left for the “enemy” on land, air or sea. He also accused India of pursuing “water terrorism”, an apparent reference to New Delhi’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, and warned that increased pressure in Kashmir would be met with unrest elsewhere.Shoaib Akhtar, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated fast bowlers, retired from international cricket in 2011. He remains one of the country’s best-known sporting figures and currently works as a cricket commentator for international tournaments.