Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, encountered a challenging moment during a live interview with Al Jazeera when she was fact-checked on air. The incident occurred as she attempted to depict Hafiz Abdur Rauf, a globally sanctioned terrorist, as an ordinary Pakistani citizen. This claim was made in the context of Pakistan’s efforts to downplay Rauf’s involvement in leading the funeral of terrorists killed during India’s “Operation Sindoor” on May 7.

During the interview, Ms. Khar asserted with confidence that the individual in question was not the notorious terrorist as claimed by India. She emphasized that there are numerous individuals named Abdul Rauf in Pakistan, suggesting that the man in the widely circulated funeral image was merely one of them. However, the interviewer promptly pointed out that the Pakistan army had not disputed the authenticity of the image in their press conference following Operation Sindoor.

The interviewer further highlighted that the Pakistani army had identified the man as a member of a political party and released his national ID number. This ID number matched that on the US sanctions list, confirming his status as a terrorist according to US authorities. Despite Ms. Khar’s attempts to clarify that the Pakistani army was not defending a US-proscribed individual, the interviewer reiterated that both the national ID numbers and other identity details were identical.

In an effort to mitigate the situation, Ms. Khar insisted that the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of Pakistan had categorically stated it was not the same person. However, this assertion was contradicted by details shared by Pakistan’s Director General of ISPR, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. He revealed that Rauf, who led prayers at Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters during Operation Sindoor, was indeed linked to terrorist activities and held a position within LeT’s senior leadership.

Chaudhry disclosed Rauf’s Computerised National Identity Card number and other personal information, which matched records in the US sanctions database. These revelations underscored Rauf’s longstanding association with Hafiz Saeed and his role within Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation. The incident has drawn attention to Pakistan’s handling of individuals on international terrorist lists and raised questions about its commitment to counterterrorism efforts.