The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check Unit on Monday rejected Pakistan’s assertion that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Abdul Rauf is an “innocent man.” The denial came in response to comments made by Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), who described the senior LeT figure as a “common man.”
In a post titled “Calling Out Pakistan’s Bluff,” PIB Fact Check countered, “Pakistan’s DG ISPR claims that LeT terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf is an ‘Innocent Man’. DG ISPR’s ‘COMMON MAN’ is a Globally Sanctioned Terrorist – clearly visible in the viral terrorist funeral picture.”
Rauf’s Terror Links and Role in Operation Sindoor Funeral Exposed
The PIB added that the identity shared by DG ISPR matches that of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, who has been in the LeT’s top leadership since at least 1999. The statement also included a link to the official U.S. Sanctions List, where Rauf is named as a designated global terrorist. “The identity details shared by DG ISPR is identical to the details of Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a member of LeT’s senior leadership since at least 1999 and part of the US Sanctions List,” PIB noted.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO:
?Is Hafiz Abdur Rauf really a Common man❓
Pakistan’s DG ISPR claims that LeT terrorist Hafiz Abdur Rauf is an ‘Innocent Man’#PIBFactCheck
❌DG ISPR’s “COMMON MAN” is a Globally Sanctioned Terrorist – clearly visible in the viral terrorist funeral picture
✅The identity… pic.twitter.com/Dy8mN72hfo
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 12, 2025
This rebuttal came after a viral video surfaced showing Rauf leading funeral prayers for LeT operatives killed in Indian precision strikes carried out during Operation Sindoor on May 7. These strikes were part of India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which Pakistan-backed militants killed several Indian tourists.
Ties to Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Presence at Terror Funerals
The video, posted by New York Times columnist Taha Siddiqui, shows Rauf surrounded by LeT members at the funeral. After the prayers, the crowd reportedly shouted slogans of “Al Jihad, Al Jihad.”
Hafiz Abdur Rauf, though not related by blood to LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, has worked closely with him for decades. He is known to play spiritual roles during public events and funerals, often giving him the appearance of a cleric—though he holds a central position in the group’s ideological and operational core.
Pakistani Army Officials Also Attended Funeral
According to the Indian Army’s press briefing held on Sunday, multiple Pakistani Army officials were also present at the funeral alongside Rauf. The Indian authorities view this presence as further proof of Pakistan’s active support for designated terror groups.
Hafiz Abdur Rauf remains listed under UNSC 1267 sanctions, with the U.S. Treasury Department identifying him as a key operative of LeT, actively involved in its recruitment and ideological propagation.
