Pakistan's Political-Terror Links Exposed: PM's Aide Meets Hafiz Saeed's Son At Faisalabad Event

Last Updated:March 31, 2026, 23:22 IST

Sources said the interaction took place openly on stage, signalling deep and visible links between Pakistan’s political leadership and proscribed terror outfits.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Political Affairs Advisor, Rana Sanaullah, was seen greeting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Talha Saeed — son of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed — at a high-profile wedding event in Faisalabad.

Top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that the interaction took place openly on stage, signalling deep and visible links between Pakistan’s political leadership and proscribed terror outfits.

Exclusive images accessed by CNN-News18 show Sanaullah, along with several senior Pakistani political leaders and public figures, publicly interacting with individuals linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), raising fresh questions over Islamabad’s claims of acting against terrorism.

Sources said such public engagements highlight how figures associated with LeT continue to operate freely and maintain prominence despite international sanctions and bans. They added that the presence of a senior aide to PM Sharif at the event suggests that the group’s leadership enjoys access to the highest levels of Pakistan’s political establishment.

“Such events raise serious questions about Pakistan’s repeated claims of cracking down on terror groups while its ruling establishment maintains cozy relations with them," a source said.

The gathering, sources added, reflects a broader pattern of close links between sections of Pakistan’s ruling class and individuals associated with extremist networks.

Indian intelligence officials said the development reinforces long-standing allegations that Pakistan provides state patronage to terror groups. “The presence of a senior advisor to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly greeting the son of the 26/11 mastermind shows that LeT leadership enjoys direct access to the highest levels of the Pakistani government. This nexus exposes Pakistan’s policy of pretending to fight terror while sheltering and empowering figures like Hafiz Saeed and his son," a source said.

“The world must take note that the 26/11 perpetrators family and network are not isolated… They are very much embedded within Pakistan’s political ecosystem including the Prime Minister’s Office," the source added.

Hafiz Saeed, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, is accused of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks and has also been named in investigations related to the Pulwama bombing. India’s National Investigation Agency has filed multiple cases against him linked to terror financing and militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

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