From Lashkar To Lahore: An Alarming Rise of State-Sponsored Militancy in Pakistan

July 13, 2025

Adil Raja

A new wave of extremist infiltration into Pakistani politics is raising red flags across South Asia, as U.S.-designated terrorist Faisal Nadeem resurfaces at the helm of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML)—a political party widely seen as a rebranded front for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Nadeem, who was blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury in 2018 as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, has long been a known LeT operative. Now, videos circulating on social media show him publicly praising the Pakistan Army while advocating armed jihad in Indian-administered Kashmir—rhetoric that closely mirrors LeT’s long-standing propaganda.

“Our fighters are still crossing into Kashmir. The mission is alive. The Army supports our cause,” Nadeem claimed during a recent PMML rally held in Lahore.

His appearance comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following a deadly April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, allegedly orchestrated by LeT-linked operatives under the patronage of the Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir. The attack killed dozens and left New Delhi on high alert. A four day ‘near-war’ followed between India and Pakistan, which enabled Asim Munir to get himself promoted as the Field Marshall and strengthen his grip on power in Pakistan.

PMML: A Political Makeover for Militancy?

The PMML is not an ordinary political party. According to security analysts and open-source data, it emerged in the run-up to Pakistan’s 2024 general elections as a replacement for the Milli Muslim League (MML)—a LeT political front that was barred from electoral participation by Pakistan’s Election Commission.

“PMML is just MML 2.0,” says one former Pakistani intelligence officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Same people, same ideology, new name.”

Indeed, PMML fielded several candidates in 2024, including known LeT operatives such as Talha Saeed (son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed), Hafiz Abdul Rauf, and Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi—all of whom were previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for their terrorist affiliations.

Allegations of State Sponsorship

The most troubling development, however, may be claims of support from within Pakistan’s military and intelligence establishment.

Multiple regional security sources allege that Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence MI and ISI—reportedly under the directive of Army Chief General Asim Munir—has been backing PMML’s rise behind the scenes. This includes providing logistical support, securing university venues for religious lectures, and facilitating recruitment in parts of Punjab and Sindh.

While these claims remain unverified by independent sources, they follow a long-standing pattern: Pakistan’s military has been repeatedly accused of using extremist proxies like LeT to wage asymmetric warfare against India while simultaneously denying any formal links.

The blame game of India’s support for insurgency in Baluchistan and Pakistan’s tit for tat response was a norm in South Asia, before the tenure of General Musharraf, who was forced to take a U-turn on the policy post 9/11.

Plotting Future Attacks?

Most alarming are unconfirmed intelligence reports by credible sources in Pakistan, indicating that Pakistan’s military leadership may be planning attacks inside Mumbai and Delhi through LeT proxies in August 2025. These alleged operations are said to be retaliatory strikes for India’s growing support to Baloch insurgents fighting against Pakistani state forces in Baluchistan.

Indian security officials have refused to publicly comment on these reports but confirmed that cross-border surveillance and counter-terror operations have been intensified.

Pakistani security officials denies these allegations, rejecting it as Indian sponsored propaganda. However, the claims have been made by sources in the Pakistani intelligence community by the elements averse to the current trajectory of the Pakistani military leadership.

The Video Under Discussion: U.S.-designated terrorist Faisal Nadeem resurfaces at the helm of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML)—a political party widely seen as a rebranded front for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He is announcing a renewal of the armed freedom struggle in the Indian administered Kashmir, speaking at a rally in Lahore in May 2025. The rally is celebrating the military operation: Banyan Al Marsoos, launched against India by the Pakistani Army Chief, Asim Munir in May 2025.

The Response-Damage Control

The resurgence of terrorists in Pakistan’s political sphere is likely to reignite global scrutiny—particularly from the United States, which has consistently called on Islamabad to dismantle all terrorist infrastructure operating within its borders.

“This is a classic case of state-enabled militant politics,” says South Asia analyst Arjun Ahuja. “It’s a strategy the Pakistani establishment has used for years—keep the jihadis close, repackage them as politicians when needed, and deny all accountability.”

In a recent interview with Karan Thapar, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rejected accusations of Pakistan supporting cross-border terrorism, asserting that “Pakistan does not willingly permit […] the groups you mentioned or any group to conduct terrorist attacks outside of Pakistan but also within Pakistan.” He described the Pahalgam attack as terrorism, noted his own victimhood from his mother’s assassination, and proposed an impartial international inquiry, saying “Islamabad is willing to be part of any impartial international inquiry into the incident, our hands are clean.”

A Very Quarrelsome Interview With Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari ... https://t.co/btMDYD8PPZ via @YouTube https://t.co/wCUDZPO22f
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 9, 2025

Whether PMML will succeed electorally or fade into obscurity remains uncertain. But its emergence—and the reappearance of figures like Faisal Nadeem—once again blurs the line between Pakistan’s politics, its military, and its militant proxies.

Conclusion

As the region braces for potential escalations, one thing is clear: allowing internationally sanctioned terrorists to reinvent themselves as political figures does not signal democratic reform. It signals something far more dangerous—a state-sanctioned dance with extremism that risks destabilizing South Asia all over again.

Editor’s Note: All references to individuals designated by the U.S. Treasury as terrorists are based on publicly available records. Allegations regarding Pakistani state involvement in PMML’s activities have not been independently verified and are attributed to intelligence sources. However, it must be noted that, without the patronage and explicit approval of the military run Pakistani state, holding such public rallies is not possible.