Daniel Pearl’s father slams Pak army over tributes to slain terrorists
Operation Sindoor has delivered a significant blow to terrorism, with the elimination of Rauf Asghar Alvi — also known as Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar — brother of Masood Azhar and operational head of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The military strike had targeted a JeM terror camp in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
The development has brought renewed focus to the 2002 murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was beheaded by Pakistani terrorists while investigating extremist networks. The operation targeted facilities linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and JeM — both terror organisations with historical ties to Pearl’s killing.
Daniel Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal and a Jewish-American journalist, was abducted and murdered while probing terror affiliations in Pakistan.
Rauf Asghar, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, was the mastermind behind the 1999 IC-814 hijacking. The event had led to the release of JeM chief Masood Azhar and Omar Saeed Sheikh — the Al-Qaeda operative, who later orchestrated Pearl’s abduction and murder.
Reacting to the news, Daniel’s father, Judea Pearl, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, but also condemned the Pakistan Army’s attendance at the funerals of slain militants.
“I wish these dignitaries could tell us: What exactly are you mourning? What role models do you want your children to revere? What have you learned from this man?” he asked, referring to the images of uniformed personnel present at the last rites of the extremists.
On the airstrikes, Judea Pearl said: “I want to thank all who reached out to me today in response to the news that India’s military forces have eliminated Abdul Rauf Azhar — a man described as responsible for the kidnapping and murder of my son, Daniel.”
He clarified that Azhar was a Pakistani extremist and leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad. Although his group was not directly involved in the plot to abduct Danny, it was indirectly responsible. Azhar orchestrated the hijacking that led to the release of Omar Sheikh — the man who lured Danny into captivity, he added.
As the operation made headlines internationally, including in Israel where the Jerusalem Post reported Azhar’s death, Judea emphasised that his son’s legacy remains a central narrative. “Let Danny’s life remind us of who we are and what we stand for,” he said.
In a follow-up tweet, he added: “I hope this incident will help refocus attention on two other criminals directly involved in Danny’s murder who have, so far, escaped justice: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Omar Sheikh.” He also highlighted the contributions of Asra Nomani, a former Wall Street Journal colleague and close friend of Daniel Pearl, whose widely shared post added crucial personal and investigative context to the ongoing discourse.
Nation