Pakistan Army on Thursday (October 1, 2026) disputed India’s claims regarding the killing of a retired havaldar from its elite Special Services Group (SSG) in central Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Mohd Asif alias Hashim Moosa was neutralised in a joint operation by the Indian Army and other security forces in Budgam district Tuesday (September 29, 2026) night.
He once served in former President Pervez Musharraf’s security convoy, Indian officials have said.
They said Asif was a top terrorist of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and was involved in high-profile attacks, especially in the last three years, which saw a surge in targeted ambushes and strikes against both military personnel and civilian hubs.
Pakistani Army spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry called the Indian account as fabricated during a televised news conference. Then the spokesman paraded a man and identified him as Asif, who he said was a resident of Attock district in Punjab, and a former Pakistani soldier who retired in 2023.
“So here is that superman. You can see this superman. Please, come, my brother. Tell us about these achievements of yours, what all you have been doing,” Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said, referring to claims regarding his involvement in various terrorist incidents.
The man, in brief talks, said that a day ago some friends called him and told him about reports on social media that he was killed “by the Indian Army in Kashmir”.
“I was surprised by whatever was happening as I was sitting in my home,” said the man, who identified himself as Asif.
The man claimed that he joined the Pakistan Army in 2000. “In 2005, I joined the SSG, performed my duty with courage for 18 years, and retired in 2023.”
He said that he had worked for a private security company for three years. “For the past three or four months, I have been living with my family in our home in Rawalpindi.”
Published – October 02, 2026 01:44 pm IST
