Gets regular invite for military events: LeT deputy chief admits links with Pakistan Army in public speech

New Delhi: A senior leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has publicly acknowledged links between the Pakistan Army and the militant outfit, providing fresh evidence of coordination between the Pakistani military and terrorist groups.

Saifullah Kasuri, the deputy chief of the Hafiz Saeed-led group and the alleged mastermind of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, said he is regularly invited by the Pakistan Army to attend military events and to lead funeral prayers for soldiers.

Kasuri made the remarks while addressing an event at a school in Pakistan, according to a video that has since gone viral on social media. During the speech, he also claimed that India was "afraid" of him and issued provocative statements directed at New Delhi.

The comments have drawn attention as they were delivered at a programme attended by schoolchildren, raising questions over the public space afforded to designated terrorist leaders in Pakistan.

Kasuri has previously acknowledged that India's Operation Sindoor caused damage to militant infrastructure in Pakistan, though he claimed the strikes were a "mistake". Reiterating LeT's focus on Kashmir, he said the group would continue its activities in the region.

In earlier remarks at a rally in Punjab province's Kasur district, Kasuri had said he gained international recognition after being named the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack.

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The April 22 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 civilians. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation led to four days of heightened tensions before India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.

India has consistently accused Pakistan of sheltering and supporting terror groups operating against it, charges Islamabad has denied.