Draped in Pakistani flag with Army in attendance, Islamabad performs last rites of terrorists

 

Lahore:

The funeral prayer for several terrorists eliminated in India's Operation Sindoor was attended by the Pakistan Army personnel and members of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) of Hafiz Saeed on Wednesday. The Indian Armed forcies targeted 9 locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, hitting terror outfits in what it termed as 'non-escalatory' action. Notably, videos that are going viral on social media show bodies of the eliminated terrorists draped in the Pakistani flag, which raises questions over Pakistan's intention to counter terrorism.

The funeral prayer for Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid and Mudassir was held in Muridke amid high security, said Tabish Qayyum, spokesperson of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, a political wing of JuD.

Along with the Pakistani Army and JuD members, members of the civil bureaucracy were also present at the funeral, said Qayyum, who also attended the event. The funeral prayer was led by Hafiz Abdul Rauf, with prayers offered for the safety and security of the country.

He claimed that Malik, Khalid, and Mudassir, believed to be members of the JuD, served as the mosque’s prayer leaders and caretakers. The bodies were later sent to their native areas for burial.

Pakistan's security huddle following India's strikes

Following India's actions, Pakistan's National Security Council on Wednesday said the country's armed forces have been duly authorised to undertake retaliation “at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” to avenge the loss of innocent Pakistani lives in Indian military strikes.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was attended by cabinet ministers, chief ministers, all services chiefs and senior officers to discuss the situation.

Pakistan closes airspace

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a 48-hour closure of its airspace for all air traffic after India carried out a military strike on terror targets in Pakistan and PoK.

Shortly after the military strike by India, Pakistani aviation authorities closed the airspace over Islamabad and Lahore and diverted flights to Karachi. Later, the entire airspace was closed for 48 hours as a precautionary measure.