Has Pakistan Lost Its Fear of the United States? Operation Sindoor Exposes the Truth, Hafiz Abdur Rauf’s Death Sparks Turmoil

 

✍ Ashok Kumar Jha, Editor-in-Chief – Ranchi Dastak / PSA Live News

Is Pakistan no longer afraid of the United States? Do Washington’s warnings and sanctions now carry no weight in Islamabad? These questions have gained fresh relevance following a stunning revelation — Pakistan has inadvertently confirmed that Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a globally designated terrorist by the U.S., was present on its soil and was killed during India’s covert "Operation Sindoor."

This unintentional admission by Pakistan amounts to a damning confession, exposing years of denial, deception, and its duplicitous posture on terrorism at global forums. It marks yet another chapter in Pakistan’s long-standing pattern of providing safe haven to terrorists while professing to be a victim of terrorism.

Pakistan Confirms Presence of Wanted Terrorist

The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, revealed Rauf’s identity in a recent press briefing. While attempting to portray Rauf as an "ordinary civilian" with a family, he inadvertently offered enough detail — including a photo, birth year (March 1973), and background — to confirm that Pakistan was fully aware of his identity.

Further, Chaudhry acknowledged that Rauf led funeral prayers for Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives killed in Punjab’s Mudrike — the very town that houses the outfit’s main headquarters. This statement alone confirms his close links with a designated terror organization.

Who Was Hafiz Abdur Rauf?

Hafiz Abdur Rauf was no ordinary man. A senior operative of the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) since 1999, he was also the head of its humanitarian front, the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF). The U.S. had designated him a global terrorist and included him in its most-wanted list due to his close ties with 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

India’s Precise Strike Exposes Pakistan

Through a precise and high-level intelligence operation — dubbed Operation Sindoor — Indian forces tracked and neutralized Rauf. India also released photographic evidence showing Rauf leading prayers at a militant’s funeral, clearly proving his active involvement with LeT and dismantling Pakistan’s official denials.

This was not merely a counterterrorism success for India, but a significant diplomatic victory. It once again proved that Pakistan remains a sanctuary for terrorists, with its military, intelligence, and political establishment either complicit or apathetic to global norms.

Pakistani Establishment’s Support for Terror Exposed

What’s more alarming is the presence of senior Pakistani military and police officials at the funerals of terrorists. Even Punjab province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz — niece of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — reportedly paid tribute, further exposing the deep-rooted nexus between the Pakistani state and terror outfits.

This behavior signals not only passive tolerance but active glorification of terrorism by key sections of the Pakistani establishment.

How Will the U.S. Respond?

The key question now is — how will the United States respond? Will Washington take decisive action, or will it fall back on routine diplomatic statements?

Rauf was on the U.S.’s most-wanted list. If Pakistan knowingly sheltered him, it constitutes a blatant defiance of America’s counterterrorism stance. If Washington remains silent, it will signal a weakening resolve against global terror and send the wrong message to both allies and adversaries.

Alternatively, imposing military, financial, or diplomatic pressure on Pakistan could restore credibility to the U.S. position and affirm that it remains committed to dismantling terror networks, wherever they exist.

Caught in Its Own Web

It is evident that both Pakistan and the United States have become ensnared in their own strategic miscalculations. For years, Pakistan viewed terrorism as a tool of state policy. But now, the world sees through the duplicity. India, through Operation Sindoor, has demonstrated its will and capability to act — regardless of borders.

Whether America joins India in taking a stand or continues to issue hollow warnings will define the next chapter in global counterterrorism efforts.

This article stands as a document of India’s unwavering resolve in the face of terror. If the international community continues to remain silent, it will only confirm that the burden of this fight now rests solely on India’s shoulders.