Watch: Hamas, Lashkar leaders meet publicly in Pakistan, raising questions over growing ties

Senior figures from Hamas and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) recently held a high-profile meeting in Pakistan, in what analysts say is a growing operational and ideological nexus between the two terror outfits, as reported by NDTV.

The meeting took place in Gujranwala, where senior Hamas commander Naji Zaheer was seen sharing a stage with LeT commander Rashid Ali Sandhu during an event hosted by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), widely regarded as a political front for Lashkar.

Video footage on social media appears to show the two men standing together, with Zaheer participating as the chief guest.

Note: Firstpost could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Longstanding engagements raise eyebrows

This meeting is not an isolated event. Zaheer has travelled to Pakistan multiple times over the past few years, engaging with Islamist and militant networks across the country.

In February 2025, he visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with other Hamas members and spoke at an anti-India rally alongside commanders from both Lashkar and Jaish-e-Mohammed, another Pakistan-based terror group.

His engagements in Pakistan stretch back to at least 2023, when he appeared in Karachi and Islamabad for events that included media appearances and receptions by Islamist organisations.

Such repeated visits and public interactions point to a growing visibility of Hamas-linked figures within Pakistan, as well as a deliberate effort to build bridges with like-minded militant networks.

The timing of this meet-up comes against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions and concerns over cross-border militancy in South Asia. Indian and international security agencies have long monitored links between Pakistan-based terror outfits and global jihadist movements, and the latest developments are likely to raise fresh alarms in New Delhi and beyond.

Pakistan has historically denied harbouring or supporting terrorist groups on its soil, but such gatherings say otherwise.

While Islamabad has not officially commented on this specific meeting, reports suggest it could complicate regional security dynamics, especially if the ties between Hamas and Pakistan-linked groups translate into shared planning, resources, or coordinated action.