Ex-Pakistan minister praises Hafiz Saeed
Former interior minister of Pakistan Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has drawn sharp criticism for sharing stage with senior Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) operatives while praising its founder, Hafiz Saeed and making inflammatory statements against India.
Rasheed, who served as Interior Minister in Imran Khan’s Government from 2020 to 2022 and leads the Awami Muslim League, shared the stage with Khalid Masood Sandhum, a senior LeT commander and president of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, and Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a member of LeT’s central advisory committee. Speaking to the crowd, Rasheed said: “Main Hafiz sahab ka ghulam hu” (I am a slave of Hafiz Saeed).
He also claimed that Saeed’s phone number appeared on his mobile during a US visit, which led to his expulsion, adding, “We are with Pakistan, with Hafiz Saeed.” He also said, “No birds will chirp in India, nor will bells ring in a temple.” Variations in reports include vows to “crush and obliterate” the country.
“When a former minister openly calls himself a slave to a mass murderer and stands with his commanders, it shows where the state’s priorities really lie. The video reveals a political culture that supports terror while acting like a victim”, intelligence sources said.
Saeed was declared a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in December 2010. He is the founder of LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, even though Pakistan sometimes claims to act against him. The open presence of Sandhu and Yaqoob shows that these groups still have political support.
Rasheed’s former role as Interior Minister, in charge of internal security, makes this situation even more serious. When a former top official openly supports the leader of cross-border terrorism, it shows how weak Islamabad’s denials are to organisations like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the United Nations (UN), and Western Governments.
