Recent viral videos have shown a senior Hamas representative sharing a stage with members of the banned Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The Hamas commander, Naji Zaheer, was seen at an event organized by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), believed to be linked to LeT. This association has raised concerns among counter-terrorism experts, with implications for regional and global security.
The event featured Hamas and LeT-linked figures addressing a crowd together, with social media clips showing religious slogans being raised. These slogans, common among Islamist terrorists, included chants like ‘Nara-e-Takbeer… Allahu Akbar’ and “Filistiniyon se rishta kya… La ilaha illallah.” Reports have highlighted Hamas’s increasing presence in Pakistan, with Zaheer attending rallies alongside US-designated terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and LeT.
Analysts have pointed out that while the focus is on demilitarizing Hamas in Gaza, Pakistan is emerging as a new hub for the group’s activities. Pakistani terrorist groups are reportedly using the situation in Gaza to raise funds and recruit members for anti-India activities. The report also mentions how these outfits are adapting their financing methods to avoid scrutiny by global watchdogs like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
