Close Aide Of Shehbaz Sharif Seen Visiting Office Linked To Hafiz Saeed’s Banned Organisation

Shehbaz Sharif’s Aide Sparks Row With Visit To Office Linked To Hafiz Saeed’s Banned Outfit.

Pakistani Minister Talal Chaudhry, a close aide of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has stirred controversy after visiting the office of a political group tied to Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Chaudhry, who serves as Minister of State for Interior and is also a senator, visited the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) office in Faisalabad, Punjab, on Thursday. The PMML is widely believed to be the political front of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), founded by Saeed.

According to a statement released by the PMML, Chaudhry met senior leaders to discuss Pakistan’s political situation, stressing the need for national unity and political stability. The group said the meeting focused on strengthening democratic institutions and promoting cooperation among political parties.

The minister’s visit, however, has raised eyebrows as it marks a rare instance of a federal official engaging with a group linked to a UN-designated terrorist. Political analysts have interpreted the move as a possible sign of quiet government endorsement of Saeed’s network.

Hafiz Saeed has been serving a prison sentence in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 for multiple terror-financing convictions. Despite his incarceration, reports suggest that the PMML has become increasingly visible across Punjab, particularly following the Pahalgam terror attack in May that killed 26 people and reignited tensions between India and Pakistan.

Earlier this year, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan attended a PMML rally in Kasur district and publicly praised Saeed — a move that drew sharp criticism at home and abroad. Chaudhry’s engagement with the group has now sparked questions about Pakistan’s commitment to curbing banned organisations and its compliance with global counterterrorism obligations. Opposition leaders and analysts warn that such gestures risk legitimising extremist fronts under the guise of political outreach.