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The funeral (Janaza-Ghaib or symbolic funeral/absentia) of Tahir Habib, one of the terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmir, was held in his hometown Khai Gala village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Tahir Habib was a former Pakistan Army soldier and a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative killed during Operation Mahadev conducted by Indian security forces in Srinagar.

This funeral in absentia held in PoK is considered a strong confirmation of Pakistan’s involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, including 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.

Visual footage and images shared on Telegram across social media showed elderly villagers and relatives gathering at Khai Gala to offer final prayers. However, the funeral took a tense turn when Rizwan Hanif, a local Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, tried to join the funeral against the explicit wishes of Tahir’s family who barred LeT members from attending.

The insistence of Rizwan Hanif led to a confrontation where LeT operatives reportedly threatened mourners with guns, forcing Hanif to flee following public backlash.

This backlash by local villagers indicated a growing resistance within the PoK community against radicalization and Pakistan’s terrorism sponsorship. Many villagers who have historically been wary of militant recruitment are now openly opposing the involvement of terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba in their area.

The incident signalled changing dynamics in the region where public sentiment is increasingly defiant against Pakistan-backed terrorism.

Tahir Habib’s background includes associations with Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and Student Liberation Front (SLF), prior to joining the Pakistan army. He belonged to the Sadozai Pathan community, known for historical resistance and playing a role in the Poonch Rebellion, which also earned him the alias "Afghani" in intelligence records.

The symbolic funeral and the public defiance in PoK also reflect the broader impact of India’s Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam attack. While military operations disrupted terror networks, the social and psychological effects are being felt even across the border, undermining Pakistan’s terror infrastructure.

The incident at the funeral thus serves not only as evidence of Pakistan’s complicity in cross-border terrorism but also as an indicator of shifting local attitudes resisting terror groups’ influence.

The Janaza-Ghaib of Tahir Habib in PoK is a significant confirmation of Pakistan’s hand in the Pahalgam attack.

The violent response of LeT operatives during his funeral and the villagers’ backlash highlight the tensions between the militants and local residents, with growing opposition to terrorism in the region.

This development adds to the narrative of state-sponsored terror and the changing landscape of public sentiment towards militant groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Based On TOI Report