LeT operatives seen at Shoaib Akhtar’s brother’s funeral
On June 24, Shahid Akhtar, the elder brother of former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, was buried at Islamabad’s H-8 graveyard. Videos from the funeral, some shared by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), showed senior Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) members attending the prayers. One of them was Saifullah Kasuri, who Indian authorities say planned the 2025 Pahalgam attack that killed tourists in Kashmir.
The footage also showed PMML president Inam Ur Rehman and other party leaders, including Abdullah Toor and Hafiz Umar. PMML serves as the political front for LeT, formed after international sanctions targeted Hafiz Saeed’s earlier groups, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations still lists Saeed as the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The presence of these individuals at the funeral of a well-known family in Pakistan’s Capital has raised eyebrows. Shoaib Akhtar shared news of his brother’s death from a heart attack and requested prayers, but has not commented on who attended. The videos sparked criticism in India and among those who follow Pakistan’s handling of terror groups.
