Pak PM’s Advisor, PML-N Leaders Seen Sharing Stage With LeT Leader Hafiz Talha Saeed | Exclusive

Last Updated:May 20, 2026, 10:15 IST

Visuals accessed by CNN-News18 show Pakistan’s political establishment publicly engaging with Hafiz Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar founder and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

In a major revelation that raises fresh questions over Pakistan’s claims of acting against terror groups, CNN-News18 has accessed visual evidence showing senior political leaders openly interacting with globally designated terrorist Hafiz Talha Saeed at multiple public events in Pakistan.

The visuals show Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Advisor on Political Affairs and Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Senator Rana Sanaullah Khan sharing the stage with Hafiz Talha Saeed during a high-profile gathering in Faisalabad.

Talha Saeed, the son of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, is widely regarded as a key figure within the banned terror network.

According to information accessed by CNN-News18, the interaction took place during a series of public events, including the annual “Stability of Pakistan Conference" and the funeral of Hassan Qureshi. Both events were attended by prominent leaders linked to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The visuals indicate repeated and public engagement between Pakistan’s political establishment and figures linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, despite Islamabad’s repeated claims before the international community that it follows a strict zero-tolerance policy against proscribed organisations and individuals.

Sources said the participation of senior government functionaries alongside Talha Saeed points to a sustained pattern of networking with the leadership of the banned terror outfit.

Several other political and religious figures were also seen interacting with Talha Saeed during the gatherings. Among those present were General Secretary Mian Ahsan Tarar and District General Secretary Kasur Rana Muhammad Ashfaq.

The events were also attended by several influential religious and local leaders, including Syed Subtain Shah Naqvi, Maulana Muhammad Nasir Madni, Maulana Muhammad Shafiq Khan Pasruri, Hafiz Qayyim Ilahi Zaheer, Maulana Manzoor, Kashif Nawaz Rindhawa, Mian Zia-ur-Rehman and Hafiz Amjad.

Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the interactions expose the continuing nexus between sections of Pakistan’s political leadership and Lashkar-linked terror operatives.

Sources further said that despite international sanctions and repeated assurances of action against terror groups, senior Pakistani officials continue to publicly associate with the de facto leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Such appearances at conferences, funerals and public gatherings serve multiple purposes — consolidating support among radical constituencies within Pakistan while also preserving what sources described as “deniable operational capacity" directed against India.

The development is likely to intensify scrutiny over Pakistan’s counter-terror commitments and its repeated assertions before global forums regarding action against terror infrastructure operating from its soil.

News world Pak PM’s Advisor, PML-N Leaders Seen Sharing Stage With LeT Leader Hafiz Talha Saeed | Exclusive

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