Pakistan's politician reveals Islamabad ties with terror groups

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the first anniversary of India's Operation Sindoor, a prominent Pak politician openly confirmed the Pakistani army's direct defence of designated terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar.Pakistan Nazriyati Party chairman Shaheer Sialvi confirmed that the Pak military provided formal honours - including military funerals and uniformed pallbearers - for the terrorists killed in India's Operation Sindoor.This admission, made at a function organised by the LeT, explicitly strips away the "non-state actor" facade, exposing deep-seated institutional support for terror networks under the guise of "freedom fighting."Sialvi, the son of well known Pak army Brigadier Haider Malik, referenced the impact of strikes during Operation Sindoor, specifically mentioning attacks on Muridke and Bahawalpur - hubs for the LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)."For the first time it happened that attacks took place on Muridke and Bahawalpur ... The attacks took place on those two places that India had already declared as terrorist hubs internationally and had convinced the world of its narrative. This is the first time it has happened that if we have fought this war, it has been under the leadership of Hafiz Saeed and Maulana Masood Azhar." Sialvi said. The PNP leader also admitted to meeting Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed.