Former Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed recently appeared at a public event alongside designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, where he praised the banned outfit's chief Hafiz Saeed and issued inflammatory threats against India. A video of the event, which surfaced around August 13, 2026, shows Ahmed sharing the stage with prominent figures linked to the terror group, sparking widespread controversy.[indiatoday+2]
Minister's Controversial Remarks
During the gathering, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, who served as Interior Minister in the Imran Khan government from 2020 to 2022, openly expressed his allegiance to Hafiz Saeed.He was captured on video declaring, "Main Hafiz sahab ka ghulam hu," which translates to "I am a slave of Hafiz Saeed."Ahmed further affirmed his support by stating, "We are with Pakistan, with Hafiz Saeed."[indiatoday+7]
The former minister also used the platform to issue aggressive remarks directed at India. He claimed that "Allah would destroy India if it 'even looks towards Pakistan.'"Elaborating on his threat, Ahmed added that "No birds will chirp in India, nor will bells ring in a temple," while asserting that nothing would happen in India that went against Pakistan.Ahmed also claimed that his expulsion from the United States was linked to Hafiz Saeed's phone number appearing on his device.[indiatoday+7]
Ahmed shared the stage with Khalid Masood Sandhu, identified as a senior LeT commander and president of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), and Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a member of the terror group's central advisory committee.The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League is widely considered an alias used by Lashkar-e-Taiba to circumvent sanctions.[indiatoday+4]
Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba's Terror Network
Hafiz Saeed is the co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist militant organization.The United Nations, the United States, India, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, and Russia have all designated Saeed as a terrorist.He is widely accused of masterminding several terror attacks in India, including the devastating 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.Saeed has also been linked to the 2005 Delhi Bombing and the 2006 Mumbai Train Bombing.He is currently incarcerated in Pakistan, serving an 11-year prison sentence for terror financing convictions, with an additional 31 years added in April 2022.[myind+18]
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was banned by Pakistan in 2002 after allegedly carrying out an attack on the Indian parliament.Despite the ban, the organization continues to operate freely within Pakistan, holding public rallies, raising funds, and plotting terror attacks.To avoid sanctions and deceive the public, LeT has repeatedly changed its name, operating under aliases such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), Milli Muslim League (MML), and Tehreek-e-Azadi-e-Kashmir (TAJK).[en+6]
Political Links and International Scrutiny
Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed's public appearance with designated terrorists and his praise for Hafiz Saeed have reignited concerns about the nexus between Pakistani political figures and militant organizations.Ahmed is the founder and leader of the Awami Muslim League, a political party in Pakistan.His past role as Interior Minister makes his current statements particularly scrutinized internationally.[myind+6]
This incident adds to a troubling pattern where Pakistani political leaders have been seen interacting with individuals linked to banned terror groups.For instance, in May 2026, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's advisor Rana Sanaullah Khan was photographed with Hafiz Saeed's son, Hafiz Talha Saeed, at a wedding in Faisalabad.These interactions raise questions about Pakistan's commitment to counter-terrorism efforts and its repeated assurances to the international community regarding action against terror infrastructure operating from its soil.[myind+5]
Pakistan has frequently faced accusations from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and India, as well as the United States and European nations, of involvement in various terrorist activities.In 2018, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif suggested the Pakistani government played a role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.In 2025, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif admitted the country had supported terrorist groups for over three decades, describing it as "dirty work" done for Western nations.[en+3]
This latest episode involving Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed underscores the ongoing challenges in addressing the deep-rooted connections between some political factions and militant groups in Pakistan. It also highlights the continued use of inflammatory rhetoric against India at public forums, further escalating regional tensions.
