 "Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, of the Lashkar-e-Taiba at a rally on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: Facebook")
The Speaker of Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan, openly expressed support for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri while attending a rally with him, The Times of India reported. Kasuri is the same LeT terrorist who claimed that the group played a key role in the ousting of Sheikh Hasina and the regime change in Bangladesh.
Talha Saeed, the son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, was also present at the rally.
According to the report, when questioned by reporters, the Speaker, who is a close aide of Shehbaz Sharif, defended the presence of the terrorists, including Kasuri, at the event.
He stated that Kasuri, allegedly one of the key figures behind the Pahalgam terror attack, should not be judged without a proper investigation.
The rally took place on 28 May in the town of Kasur, which is closely associated with terrorist Saifullah Kasuri.
Kasuri’s appearance alongside Talha Saeed has raised fresh concerns. This comes amid ongoing discussions among foreign policy experts about how Kasuri and other militants have been boasting about avenging Pakistan’s defeat and partition after the 1971 war with India, according to the report.
Pakistan has long been accused of supporting terrorist activities against India and using them as a tool of foreign policy. The Pahalgam attackers were also backed by Islamabad, and subsequent investigations revealed the attack had “cross-border links.”
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View AllVideo footage from the rally showed LeT deputy chief Kasuri arriving with heavily armed guards carrying American M4 rifles. He was hailed as the “conqueror” of India, with flower petals showered on him.
We defeated you in Bangladesh: Kasuri
While addressing the gathering, the LeT deputy claimed involvement in protests against former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, saying their actions had forced her to flee to India.
Kasuri and US-designated terrorist Muzammil Hashmi claimed credit for a so-called “coup” during the rallies held last week. “We defeated you in Bangladesh last year,” they said at the rally.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also the target of vitriolic speeches during the rally. Hashmi said, “Modi, you scare us with your bullets. Our children didn’t fear your missiles, so why would we fear your bullets?” This remark was made at the 28 May rally in Gujranwala, organised by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, the political front of LeT.
At another rally held this week, Kasuri also claimed he had avenged the 1971 Bangladesh liberation by toppling the government.