Several Pakistan-based wanted terrorists, including Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and Al-Badr supremo Bakht Zameen Khan, were seen attending the funeral of Pulwama attack accused Hamza Burhan in Islamabad, according to visuals circulating on social media and local reports.
Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjumand Gulzar Dar and codenamed “Doctor”, was buried in Islamabad a day after he was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The funeral has drawn attention because of the reported presence of senior terror operatives and heavily armed men at the gathering. Social media visuals from the burial site also allegedly showed individuals linked to Pakistan’s intelligence establishment attending the ceremony.
Armed cadres and terror figures seen at funeral gathering
Videos circulating online showed armed men carrying AK-47 rifles and other weapons around the funeral venue, indicating a heavy security presence during the burial.
According to local reports and social media posts, several cadres associated with banned terror outfits were present at the gathering alongside senior figures linked to terror groups operating from Pakistan.
Burhan had been named by Indian authorities as one of the masterminds behind the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, which killed more than 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s Union Home Ministry designated him a terrorist in 2022, accusing him of involvement in radicalisation, recruitment and financing operations linked to Al-Badr activities in Kashmir.
Hamza Burhan was reportedly working in PoK
According to police sources cited in reports, Burhan had been living in PoK under a concealed identity and was working as the principal of a private college in Muzaffarabad.
He was reportedly attacked on Thursday morning after stepping out of the college premises, when unidentified gunmen opened fire at close range.
The incident comes months after visuals from funerals held during and after India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ in 2025 triggered controversy over the alleged participation of Pakistani military officers and officials in ceremonies for slain militants.
Following the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeting terror infrastructure linked to Pakistan-backed groups.
Visuals from that period had shown coffins allegedly draped in Pakistani flags and given military-style honours in places such as Muridke, Bahawalpur and Muzaffarabad.