Hamas member attends 'anti-India' POK meet with Jaish, Lashkar terrorists

Hamas' spokesperson and representative in Iran, Khalid al-Qadoumi, met hardline Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter's home in Pakistan, reportedly for a narrative-building exercise

A senior representative of Gaza-based militant outfit, Hamas, purportedly attended an anti-India terrorist gathering in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on Wednesday. Indian intelligence agencies, which were tracking the event, termed it as a narrative-building exercise by Pakistan, according to a report in The Times of India.

 

Khalid al-Qadoumi, Hamas’ spokesperson and representative in Iran, met hardline Islamist leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the latter’s home on February 4. Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan, which is led by Rehman, shared pictures and video of their meeting on social media, and said discussions were held on the current situation in Palestine. 

حماس کے ترجمان ڈاکٹر خالد القدومی کی جےیوآئی سربراہ مولانا فضل الرحمان کی رہائش گاہ آمد حماس کے ترجمان ڈاکٹر خالد القدومی نے مولانا فضل الرحمان کو فسلطین کی تازہ صورتحال سے آگاہ گیا رہنماؤں کی موجودہ صورتحال پر غور وخوض فلسطینی مسلمانوں کا خون رائیگاں نہیں جائے گا،مولانا… pic.twitter.com/66LEFE8xTi

— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) February 4, 2025

 

 

After this, an Urdu pamphlet shared widely on Telegram channel claimed that al-Qadoumi would attend an event at Shaheed Sabir Stadium in Rawalakote with themes of ‘Kashmir solidarity’ and ‘Al Aqsa Flood’. Other attendees listed were Talha Saif, brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, Jaish commanders Asghar Khan Kashmiri and Masood Ilyas.

 

Viral videos on social media pointed to al-Qadoumi’s presence at the event, though it is not known whether he addressed the public. Business Standard cannot independently verify the authenticity of these videos. 

#Hamas attends event with Pakistani terror groups Jaish e Muhammad (JeM) & Lashkar e Tayyiba (LeT) in #Rawlakot, Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK). pic.twitter.com/jmLMXeFgQY

— INDIA NARRATIVE (@india_narrative) February 5, 2025

 

Notably, Pakistan observes February 5 as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, a propaganda exercise to push its separatist agenda in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Pakistan’s bonhomie with global terrorists

 

Pakistan has been sympathetic to the cause of Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and several European countries. In December 2024, Jamaat-e-Islami held a mass rally in Islamabad, where the party’s leader called on the Pakistani government to recognise Hamas as a legitimate military force.

 

In August last year, Rehman met Hamas leaders in Qatar and condoled the death of its former leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an Israeli operation.

 

For long, Pakistan has been trying to incite separatism in Jammu and Kashmir following the blueprint of Osama bin-Laden, who had dubbed it as ‘Zionist-Hindu war against Muslims’.

 

In his article in Observer Research Foundation, Sameer Patil, director of Centre for Security, Strategy and Technology, writes that Lashkar radicalised youth by showing footage of global events like the Israel-Palestine conflict.

 

India’s support for Palestinian state

 

India has a longstanding history of supporting the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. In 1947, India voted against the partition of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly. It was the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974 and also recognised the State of Palestine in 1988.

 

Over the years, India has consistently advocated for a two-state solution, envisioning an independent Palestine coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. This commitment was reiterated in April 2024, when India supported a UN General Assembly resolution favouring Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.

 

While India condemned the actions of Hamas after the October 7 attacks in Israel, it hasn’t officially designated the group as a terrorist organisation. This stance is influenced by several factors, including India’s historical support for the Palestinian cause, its diplomatic relations in the Middle East, and a large Muslim population that is sympathetic to the cause of Palestine.