Pakistan-backed terror networks turn against establishment amid growing Iran-Israel tensions
A senior leader of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba has openly threatened Pakistan’s military and political leadership over any possible move towards engagement with Israel, exposing deepening cracks between the country’s establishment and the extremist groups it allegedly nurtured for decades.
Saifullah Kasuri, identified as the deputy chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba and accused mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, reportedly issued a direct warning to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a public gathering.
In a video circulating online, Kasuri allegedly declared that any Pakistani leader attempting to support or recognise Israel would be “killed, destroyed and ruined.”
The remarks come amid intense speculation over growing US pressure on Pakistan to reconsider its stance on Israel as part of wider diplomatic negotiations linked to the Iran conflict and regional security arrangements.
The threat is being viewed by analysts as a striking example of how jihadist organisations, long accused of enjoying protection and support from sections of Pakistan’s security establishment, are now openly challenging the very system that enabled their rise.
Security observers say the development highlights the dangerous blowback of Pakistan’s decades-old policy of using radical Islamist groups as strategic assets in the region.
Kasuri’s remarks have also renewed global scrutiny over Pakistan’s continued links with extremist organisations operating openly within its borders despite repeated international commitments to counter terrorism.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the Abraham Accords — the US-brokered agreements during the presidency of Donald Trump that normalised ties between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Washington has reportedly continued encouraging additional countries in the Islamic world to establish diplomatic ties with Israel as part of its broader strategic vision for West Asia.
However, Pakistan remains trapped in a politically explosive dilemma.
Any move towards recognising Israel risks triggering fierce backlash from religious hardliners, Islamist parties and terror-linked groups that wield significant street influence and ideological power across the country.
The latest threats from Lashkar leaders underline how radical outfits in Pakistan are no longer merely operating as proxies but are increasingly acting as independent power centres capable of directly confronting the state itself.
Analysts warn that the episode further exposes the fragility of Pakistan’s internal security environment and the long-term consequences of fostering extremism as an instrument of state policy.
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