Karachi– Pakistan’s long-suspected alliance between its military and terrorist groups was once again brought into sharp focus on Wednesday, as images featuring Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commanders appeared alongside Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir across the country. The images were part of public displays marking the 27th anniversary of “Youm-e-Takbeer,” commemorating Pakistan’s 1998 nuclear tests in Balochistan.
Posters and digital billboards from Karachi to Lahore showed the LeT and high-ranking Pakistani military officials together in celebrations of Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities. The visual association drew widespread criticism, especially as the international community continues to pressure Islamabad to take meaningful action against terrorism emanating from its soil, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The backlash comes in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in India, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a known front for the UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Despite mounting global concern and documented links between its military and terror networks, Pakistan continues to deny responsibility and deflects blame with inflammatory rhetoric.
“Only in Pakistan can a nuclear celebration feature terrorists and generals on the same billboard. Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pak Army, shoulder to shoulder — and the world still pretends they’re separate? Youm-e-Takbeer is a parade of state-sponsored terror,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The celebrations were also mocked online as a hollow display of nationalism. Some commentators noted the irony of national pride in the face of recent Indian military strikes under Operation Sindoor, which targeted Pakistani Air Force bases and terror infrastructure.
“Digital signboards in Lahore display Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Pakistan Army together. On April 28, Lashkar-e-Taiba and PMLN celebrate Youm-e-Takbeer despite the loss of several terrorist camps and PAF airbases,” wrote Faraz Pervaiz, a Pakistani Christian activist who has been targeted with blasphemy charges by Pakistani authorities.
Meanwhile, India has intensified efforts to expose Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism on global platforms. Addressing the UN Security Council last week, India’s Permanent Representative, P. Harish, condemned the visible ties between the Pakistani military and terrorist leaders.
“We recently saw senior government, police, and military officials attend funerals of terrorists eliminated in Operation Sindoor. Among them were Lieutenant General Fayyaz Hussain Shah, Major General Rao Imran, and Punjab Police Inspector General Usman Anwar. These funerals included figures like Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba leader designated as a terrorist by the U.S.,” Harish stated.
India has also submitted detailed dossiers on the TRF to the United Nations’ 1267 Sanctions Committee, identifying it as a proxy group used by LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad to mask their activities. A similar report was submitted in December 2023, underscoring how Pakistan-based terror groups operate under different aliases to evade international scrutiny.
Despite these revelations, Pakistan continues to glorify its nuclear arsenal and known terrorists in tandem, reinforcing concerns that its military and government remain deeply entangled with extremist organizations. (Source: IANS)
