Pakistan Islamic complex denies being used as terrorist hub
MURIDKE, Pakistan (Kyodo) -- The administrator of an Islamic religious and educational complex in Pakistan has denied a claim by India that the site is a terrorist hub, following a May 7 missile strike that killed three people, and called for peace and dialogue between the two nations.
The facility in Pakistan's Punjab province, near India's Punjab state, was one of six sites targeted by Indian missiles and airstrikes that day. New Delhi has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the April 22 shooting that killed 26 people in India-administered Kashmir.
Muhammad Azam, administrator of the facility once run by a militant group but now managed by the Pakistani government, told Kyodo News that Indian missiles struck a mosque and residential quarters of the complex, which also includes primary and secondary schools, a seminary, a vocational center, dormitories and a clinic.
Even before the April 22 shooting, Indian government officials had claimed the complex was a hub for militants, specifically Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group India blames for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed more than 170 people.
"We have no ties, direct or indirect, with any militant groups," said Azam.
"Each institution is overseen by a government-appointed administrator who monitors everything from education to boarding, nutrition and overall conduct," he said.
Located in Muridke, a town on the outskirts of Lahore, the 27-hectare compound houses 11 institutions, including two schools with 1,400 students and a seminary with 650 students.
The complex, formerly known as Markaz-e-Taiba, meaning "Center of Good," was founded in 1987 by Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Saeed has been imprisoned since 2019 on multiple convictions related to terror financing.
The government took over the facility in 2019, renaming it the Government Health and Education Complex Sheikhupura and appointing 11 administrators to oversee its operations.
In the wake of the April 22 shooting that killed tourists in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Kashmir, India carried out airstrikes on six sites in Pakistan, including the complex in Muridke, while blaming a lesser-known militant group in the country for the attack.
Pakistan responded with heavy artillery and mortar shelling on Indian villages along the Line of Control, which divides the two parts of disputed Kashmir, and also launched missile and drone attacks on targets in India.
Although India and Pakistan agreed to a cease-fire on May 10, tensions remain between the two countries, both considered de facto nuclear powers.
Azam said the three workers killed in the May 7 Indian attack had remained at the site despite a government order for a full evacuation.
"Had the rest of the staff and families not been moved out, the death toll could have been catastrophic," Azam said, gesturing toward the damaged mosque, where the roof had caved in and rubble and shattered doors littered the prayer hall.
Despite the destruction of the mosque and parts of the residential buildings, Azam said the facility remains committed to its educational and humanitarian mission, with hopes of resuming operations after restoration work is completed.
Repeatedly denying the accusation that the complex is a base for militant activities, he said, "We cannot and do not allow any such activity at a facility that hosts schoolchildren and families."
"I urge the Indian government to engage in dialogue (with the Pakistan government) and address contentious issues through peaceful means," he added.
India and Pakistan have contested Kashmir since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. India last carried out an airstrike on Pakistan in 2019, targeting a militant training camp in the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir following a suicide bombing that killed 40 security personnel in the Indian-controlled area.
"Let's not forget -- war brings nothing but death and devastation. It's time to break this cycle and restore normalcy for the people on both sides of the border," Azam said.
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