Pakistani Minister Backs LeT Commander Saifullah Khalid, Blames India For Pahalgam Attack

Last Updated:June 03, 2025, 07:17 IST

Pakistani politician Malik Ahmad Khan defended Saifullah Khalid, one of those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, claiming India accused him of the attack without proper probe.

Pakistani Minister Malik Ahmad Khan (L)/ Saifullah Kasuri (R) (Video screengrabs/Social Media)

Days after Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander and one of those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, was spotted spewing venom against India at a public rally in Pakistan’s Punjab, Pakistani politician Malik Ahmad Khan has come out in his support and said Saifullah was “blamed" for the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Malik Ahmad Khan was one of those present with Saifullah during his public address on May 28.

The rally had also witnessed the presence of Talha Saeed, the son of LeT founder and Mumbai terror attacks mastermind, Hafiz Saeed.

In a video, widely shared on social media, Malik Ahmad Khan could be seen speaking to reporters after Saifullah’s rally and saying that he was invited to the rally.

Khan said, “India, without an investigation, has formed a perception that Saifullah is responsible for the terror attack in Pahalgam."

“Indian authorities got a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Saifullah within days of the Pahalgam terror attack, and there is no evidence to support their accusations," Khan said.

He further accused India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being responsible for the various terror attacks in India, and reiterated that the accusations against Saifullah should be investigated.

At the May 28 rally, Saifullah Khalid spewed venom against India, Hindus, and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He also referred to the Pakistani terrorists killed in India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ as “martyrs".

“I was informed that there was a terrorist attack in India on April 22, and later I came to know that India had referred to me as the mastermind of the attack," Khalid could be heard saying at the rally.

“We are not going to be scared by bullet shots and firing, and we aspire to die as martyrs," he added.

As many as 26 tourists were killed by armed terrorists in Kashmir’s iconic Pahalgam on April 22.

Survivors later said the terrorists had asked them about their faith, and shot dead those who said they were non-Muslims.

The terrorists also asked the tourists to recite a ‘Kalma‘ (an Islamic phrase) to confirm if they were non-Muslims, before shooting them point-blank.

Later, The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In response, India, on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan and destroyed multiple terror targets there. More than 100 terrorists, taking shelter in Pakistan, were also killed in the operation.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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News world Pakistani Minister Backs LeT Commander Saifullah Khalid, Blames India For Pahalgam Attack