Lashkar Commander Kasuri Boasts at Lahore Rally: “I’m More Famous Now”

At a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Saifullah Kasuri—one of the alleged masterminds behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack—delivered inflammatory anti-India rhetoric while flanked by Pakistani security forces, fellow terrorist commanders, and ISI officials.

“I have become more famous since being accused of the attack,” Kasuri reportedly gloated, reveling in the infamy tied to the massacre of innocent civilians. Despite previously denying involvement in the attack, he took center stage alongside US-designated terrorist Talha Saeed (son of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed) and Malik Ahmad Khan, speaker of the Punjab Assembly. Their public appearance exposed Pakistan’s continued complicity with terror networks, despite claims of action against such groups.

Talha Saeed praised Pakistan’s so-called Bunyan al-Marsoos operation—portrayed as retaliation against India’s Operation Sindoor—and declared, “Allah loves those who engage in jihad,” as Kasuri and others cheered.

The gathering seemed aimed at rallying Lashkar’s ranks after India’s recent precision strikes on the Lashkar headquarters in Muridke, which resulted in significant terrorist casualties. Responding to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statements warning Pakistan against using terrorism, Kasuri mocked, “Modi thinks we are scared of bullets? He’s mistaken.”

Kasuri, previously head of the Milli Muslim League and a key figure in Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s operations, boasted about Pakistan’s alleged cyberattacks on Indian infrastructure and even hinted at entering politics, suggesting he might run against Modi in the next elections. “I am a thorn in India’s side,” he declared.

Kasuri, Talha, and Sheikh Sajjad Gul of The Resistance Front are believed to have orchestrated the Pahalgam attack, dispatching highly trained operatives on orders from Hafiz Saeed. Since the attack, these outfits have escalated public rallies, raising funds under the pretext of supporting jihad in Kashmir.

This latest rally in Lahore once again highlighted the dangerous nexus between Pakistan’s establishment and terrorist organizations.