Operation Sindoor: Pakistan's 'innocent' man leading prayers is US-sanctioned terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf

In a self-goal at the press conference last night, the Pakistani military gave evidence that the man leading prayers for terrorists killed in Indian airstrikes at Muridke is indeed a senior figure in the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Under Operation Sindoor, India struck the headquarters of LeT at Muridke in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Senior military and civilian officials attended the funeral of terrorists killed. India identified the man leading the prayers in the funeral as Hafiz Abdul Rauf.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the principal spokesperson of the Pakistani military, said at the press conference that Rauf was an innocent family man who has nothing to do with terrorism. He went on to show Rauf’s identification information as a proof. However, in doing so, he provided clinching evidence that Rauf is indeed a terrorist of LeT — just like India had claimed.

The identification details provided by Chaudhry matched perfectly with the details of Hafiz Abdul Rauf in the sanctions database of the US government.

How Pakistani military proved India’s claim

India said that Rauf led the prayers of those killed at the LeT headquarters at Muridke. He was a described as a commander in the LeT.

To prove Rauf’s innocence, Chaudhry played an interview with him and showed his identification details.

In the identification details (see below), Rauf’s date of birth is March 25, 1973, his national identification number is 35202-54004-13-9, and his political affiliation is Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML).

Rauf’s date of birth and national identification number (the CNIC number) shared by Chaudhry are exactly the same as that of Hafiz Abdur Rauf sanctioned by the US government for his role as a senior LeT figure (see below).

As if any more proof was needed of Rauf’s LeT connection, it was found in his political affiliation. The PMML to which Rauf belongs is the political front of LeT, the terrorist group behind many attacks in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Rauf is a US Specially Designated Global Terrorist

The US government has declared Rauf, whom the Pakistani military tried to pass off as an innocent family man, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

The US government has identified Rauf as a member of LeT’s senior leadership and head of LeT’s Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). It further said that Rauf and FIF are central to LeT’s fundraising.

“As of mid-2009, LET was using the name FIF to fundraise and evade international pressure on LET following the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India. In 2009, Rauf participated in a fundraiser in Pakistan that raised money for the organization under the FIF alias,” said the US government in 2010 when it declared Rauf as a terrorist.

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The US government further said that Rauf was part of LeT’s propaganda machinery and reported directly to LeT chief Hafiz Saeed.

The funeral where Rauf led prayers was attended by senior Pakistani military and civilian officials.

Following senior officials attended the funeral: Lt Gen Fayyaz Hussain Shah, the 4 Corps Commander; Maj Gen Rao Imran Sartaj, the General Officer Commanding 11 Infantry Division; Brigadier Mohd Furqan Shabbir, the Commander 15 Mechanised Brigade; Usman Anwar, the Inspector General of Police for Punjab; and Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bherth, a Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.