Pahalgam Terrorist’s Funeral in PoK Shows Pakistan’s Hands in Terror Attack

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Aug 3: Even as Pakistan has vehemently refuted India’s charge of its nationals being involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, the “funeral in absentia” (Janaza-Ghaib) of Tahir Habib, one of the three terrorists killed by the Indian security forces in Dachigam forests near Srinagar, at his native village in the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (Pok) has once again exposed hollowness of Pakistani government’s claims.

The funeral of Tahir Habib, one of the terrorists behind the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent tourists were killed, was held in his native village of Khai Gala in PoK last week in yet another incident that further reinforces evidence of Islamabad’s involvement in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and cross-border terrorism.

Tahir Habib, a former Pakistan Army soldier and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative was killed during Operation Mahadev in Jammu & Kashmir. Visuals shared on Telegram showed elderly residents of Khai Gala offering prayers for Tahir, who was one of the key operatives behind the Pahalgam massacre. The funeral adds to mounting proof that the attack was executed by terrorists from across the border, with clear interstate and cross-border links.

Earlier, members of the Pakistan Army had attended the funeral of terrorists who were killed in Operation Sindoor that was launched by India to avenge the killing of 26 tourists, including a Nepali citizen, in the Pahalgam strike. The terrorists killed were part of a banned group, the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) led by terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

According to sources, Tahir was reportedly recruited and trained by Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the LeT, had initially claimed responsibility for the attack and was recently tagged as a terrorist organisation by the United States for its role.

Tahir was among three Pahalgam terrorists shot dead in an encounter by security forces at Harwan in Srinagar on July 28. Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police GV Sundeep Chakravarty confirmed the terrorists belonged to LeT and were killed during Operation Mahadev. Videos and photos available on social media showed local residents in PoK’s Kuiyaan village gathering for the final prayers for Tahir on July 30.

The sources said the funeral, however, turned tense and took an unexpected turn when a local LeT commander, Rizwan Hanif, arrived with armed men despite the terror group being barred by Tahir’s family. A heated confrontation followed, highlighting growing friction even within militant circles. According to local sources, Lashkar operatives even threatened mourners at gunpoint, triggering outrage in the village. Hanif and his associates were eventually forced to leave the spot.

“People here have long been uneasy about radicalisation. After this incident, Khai Gala residents are planning a public boycott against terror recruitment,” the source said. The resistance comes amid signs of a shift in state policy, with the Pakistani police taking action against events organised by terrorists and reduced public activity by such groups.

In May, India released the names of top Pakistani officials who attended the funeral of LeT terrorists, who were gunned down during Operation Sindoor. Officials said the funeral of terrorists killed in Muridke in Pakistan’s Punjab province was led by Abdul Rauf, a LeT commander who is a specially designated global terrorist by the United States.

Muridke is home to the headquarters of the LeT and is known as the “terror nursery” of Pakistan. Reports said the Pahalgam terrorists were trained at this spot. Tahir, classified as a Category ‘A’ terrorist, had long been on the radar of Indian security agencies for his involvement in cross-border militancy. His killing, along with two others in Srinagar last week, marked a major breakthrough for Indian forces.

Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that it had “dismantled” the LeT and any effort to link the Pahalgam terror attack with the defunct terrorist network was against reality. Stating that the investigation into the Pahalgam attack was “still inconclusive,” it said, “Any linkage with LeT, a defunct organisation banned in Pakistan, belies ground realities.”

But the funeral of Tahir Habib not only reaffirms Pakistan’s direct hand in the Pahalgam attack, but also reflects a growing resistance in POK against Pakistan’s terror machinery. It also signals the far-reaching impact of Operation Sindoor, India’s counter-offensive launched in response to the April 22 strike. Pakistan has long been accused of using terror as an instrument of state policy. Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, backed by Islamabad, have repeatedly targeted civilians in Kashmir and beyond.