New Delhi:
India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, held up what he described as undeniable evidence of Pakistan’s complicity in sponsoring terrorism both within its own soil and across the border in India. Speaking to Sky News amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Mr Doraiswami presented a poster-sized image showing top Pakistani military brass alongside Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a US-sanctioned terrorist and brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, attending the funeral of terrorists killed by India under Operation Sindoor.
Behind Rauf in the image were uniformed Pakistani military officers. Pakistani flags were draped over the coffins of terrorists.
“Let me show you this photograph from yesterday,” the High Commissioner said, holding up the photo. “I believe it is for your viewers. This person here is a sanctioned terrorist under the American sanctions regime. His name is Hafiz Abdur Rauf. He’s a brother of the founder of the terrorist group that you’re mentioning. Look who is behind him. Pakistani military. Look at the coffins there. They have the Pakistani national flag. If you’re going to be giving terrorists state funerals, what does that make of your system? “
The photograph, shared by India at a press briefing in New Delhi, was presented as visual proof of what India has for decades maintained that Pakistan, and in particular its military establishment, not only harbours but officially supports terrorists.
The interview followed India’s coordinated series of airstrikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These strikes came in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed on April 22.
One of the primary targets was the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Bahawalpur, a city in Pakistan’s Punjab province long believed by Indian intelligence to be a major hub of terrorist activity. The BJP released a social media graphic showing Abdul Rauf Azhar, Masood Azhar’s brother, with the word “eliminated” stamped across his image.
Abdul Rauf Azhar was a key figure in multiple terror incidents, including the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, and the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault. During the Kandahar hijacking of IC-814, India was forced to release three jailed terrorists, including Masood Azhar himself, in exchange for 190 civilian hostages.
The High Commissioner mentioned past cases to argue that Pakistan’s calls for an international investigation were not credible. He cited the 2016 Pathankot attack, during which India permitted Pakistani investigators to access a sensitive Indian Air Force base. The cooperation, Mr Doraiswami said, was not reciprocated. He also referenced the 2008 Mumbai attacks, where Pakistani authorities were handed extensive evidence that was ignored or misused to obfuscate links between the terrorists and Pakistan’s deep state.
