Who is Pakistan PM Sharif taking advice from? His adviser seen courting LeT’s heir apparent

Pakistan’s political establishment is facing scrutiny after visuals surfaced showing senior leaders from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s close political aide Rana Sanaullah, sharing the stage with Hafiz Talha Saeed, the son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, reported CNN-News18.

The development has once again triggered questions about the alleged links between sections of Pakistan’s political class and individuals associated with banned extremist groups.

The images, reportedly from a high-profile wedding event in Faisalabad, show Rana Sanaullah greeting and interacting with Hafiz Talha Saeed in full public view. Other prominent PML-N figures were also reportedly present at the gathering. While the exact date of the event has not been independently verified, the visuals have gone viral and sparked strong reactions across political and security circles.

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Who is Hafiz Talha Saeed?

Hafiz Talha Saeed is the son of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of LeT, the terror outfit accused of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Talha himself has long been seen as an influential figure within networks linked to Lashkar and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, organisations that have faced international sanctions and terror-related scrutiny.

The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive time for Pakistan, especially after recent international reports highlighted the continued presence and activity of several extremist outfits operating from Pakistani soil. A recent US assessment pointed to at least 15 active terror groups functioning in the country, many of them with India-focused agendas.

So far, there has been no official clarification from either Rana Sanaullah or the PML-N leadership on the matter.