Shehbaz Sharif Courts Clerics to Revive Kashmir Narrative, Raising Alarm in India

• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif hosted hardline clerics, including those with links to banned terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, to revive the Kashmir narrative.
• Intelligence officials view this as an alarming move, signaling a coordinated state effort to re-legitimize jihadist messaging under official patronage.
• The plan involves using mosque sermons and Friday prayers to frame hostility towards India as a "battle for truth" and push a synchronized anti-India narrative.
• Sharif accused India and Afghanistan of funding TTP and Afghan Taliban, seen as an attempt to deflect blame for Pakistan's internal security failures.
• New Delhi views this as a desperate response to setbacks, indicating Pakistan is reverting to its old playbook of mobilizing religious fervor and radicalizing.

Why It Matters: Pakistan is openly re-engaging extremist clerics to revive its Kashmir narrative, alarming India and signaling a radicalization of state policy.