pakistan-s-ex-fm-defends-terrorist-in-viral-funeral-image

'Many Abdur Raufs in Pakistan, he is not the man they claim to be'. This is the statement of Pakistan's ex-foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar as she tried to defend the US-designated terrorist as a 'common man', in her recent interview with a media house. Rauf is the man who was seen in a viral picture that showed him offering prayers at the funeral of the terrorist killed in India's Operation Sindoor, with Islamabad's police and military officials standing behind him.    

 

 

 

"I am telling you, with authority, with evidence which has been shared with the whole world, that this is not the man that you (India) are claiming it to be. That this is not the man that you are claiming it to be. There are a million Abdur Raufs in Pakistan," she said, holding the viral picture in her hands. 

 

The moment turned out to be embarrassing for Hina, when responding to her above statement, the interviewer clarified that the Pakistan Army never claimed that the picture was fake, but rather they mentioned that 'Rauf was a political party member'. 

 

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Then referring to Rauf (in the picture), and trying to save herself from more embarrassment, the Pakistani politician stated, "The Pakistani army is defending this man. The Pakistani army is not defending the person who is proscribed by the US." 

 

"ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations of Pakistan Army) categorically has said that this is not the same person, and you just sat over here and told me that they just defended him and did not say it is not the same person," she further added. 

 

Meanwhile, earlier, when the image went viral on social media platforms, Pakistan's Director General of ISPR, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his statement said that the man (Rauf) is a politician, a member of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) party, and a 'common man', who is a father of three daughters and a son.