Pakistan has emerged as new ground for Hamas operatives. This challenges Islamabad’s credentials as a reliable partner in the global fight against terrorism—and raises questions about its status as a U.S. Major Non-NATO ally.
At the center of this nexus stands Naji Zaheer, Hamas special representative in Pakistan. Since the massacre on October 7, 2023, Zaheer has been invited as a guest of honor to rallies, conferences, and shared podiums with U.S.-designated terror outfits like Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. His presence underscores a troubling pattern: Islamabad’s apparent tolerance, if not endorsement, of Hamas’s agenda.
Zaheer’s footprint in Pakistan has expanded dramatically since October 2023, transforming him into a fixture at high-profile events that blend pro-Palestine rhetoric with jihadist networking. Living in the country as a Hamas special representative, Zaheer has addressed rallies, and received accolades from professional bodies.
Living in the country as a Hamas special representative, [Naji] Zaheer has addressed rallies, and received accolades from professional bodies.
On October 14, 2023, just a week after the Hamas massacre against Israeli civilians, Zaheer spoke at a sprawling pro-Palestine rally in Peshawar, where Hamas leader Khaled Mashal appeared via video link. According to media reports, Mashal said that he appreciated “the unanimity of the people of Pakistan and the political and diplomatic support of the government of this country to the Palestinian people.”
Just weeks later, on November 2, Zaheer spoke via video link, joining the “Toofan-e-Aqsa conference,” a twelve-day protest event in Karachi, organized by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan’s influential Islamic party that holds sway in both the Senate and Assembly. During the event, then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated: “I address the entire Muslim Ummah. This war is not just for Palestine; it is for the entire Ummah.”
By the middle of the month, Zaheer was in Karachi, speaking at an anti-Israel rally hosted by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, the polished political façade of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is responsible for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack. Video footage shows Zaheer on stage, thanking the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League for their support and leading and responding to chants like the anti-Jewish slur, “Khyber Khyber ya Yahood.”
Zaheer’s itinerary reads like a tour of Pakistan’s jihadi underbelly. In January 2024, he visited the Karachi Press Club, where he lambasted Israel, urging Pakistani journalists to ramp up anti-Israel coverage. His engagements extended to academia and civil society, further embedding Hamas’s narrative. In late 2024, Zaheer was in Peshawar for the inflammatory “Death to Israel” conference organized by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl. Addressing the gathering, he declared the Gaza war a “war of Islam” that would continue “until Israel is eliminated and the Jews flee.”
On January 5, 2024, the Pakistani Senate feted Hamas and lawmakers ... rolled out the red carpet.
Compounding the concern is Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s envoy in Tehran, who has crisscrossed Pakistan since late 2023, amplifying the terrorist group’s message through media briefings and events at Pakistani institutions. On January 5, 2024, the Pakistani Senate feted Hamas and lawmakers, like Senator Mushahid Hussain, rolled out the red carpet. Qaddoumi’s Senate appearance signaled Islamabad’s openness to host Hamas envoys at the highest levels.
On February 5, 2025, to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, Qaddoumi, Zaheer, and Hamas leaders Mufti Azam and Bilal Al Sallat joined with Pakistani government, military, and terrorist leaders. Talha Saif, brother of Jaish-e-Muhammad emir Maulana Masood Azhar, and top Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders also participated in the rallies. One of the biggest events was held in the town of Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, under the name “Kashmir Solidarity and Hamas Operation ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ Conference.” In a video of the Rawalakot event, one jihadi leader warned, “The mujahideen of Kashmir and Palestine have become united… .”
The specter of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir emerging as a sanctuary for Hamas’s ideology and operations may no longer be hypothetical. As the international community focuses on demilitarizing Hamas in Gaza, it cannot ignore that Pakistan is becoming the next fertile ground for Hamas to rejuvenate.
