Shoaib Akhtar is at the center of controversy after the leaders of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) - a political party that includes some members of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), people convicted of being members - attended the funeral of his elder brother and former fast bowler Shahid Akhtar. There is no proof of association between Shoaib Akhtar and his late brother and any terrorist organisation but PMML leaders at the funeral have erupted into a public debate in Pakistan and the world.
Shahid Akhtar died earlier this week. Shoaib Akhtar announced the news on Instagram and told followers that details of funeral prayers would be shared later.
According to reports, PMML Islamabad Chief Inam-ur-Rehman Kamboh, Deputy General Secretary Abdullah Toor, Zonal General Secretary Hafiz Umar and Khidmat Committee Chairman Amjad Bhatti attended the funeral prayers.
The development has attracted attention as PMML has been widely examined over the backgrounds of many of the leaders and candidates.
Why is the PMML under scrutiny?
The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League is a registered political party recognised by the Election Commission of Pakistan. It started in 2024 after Pakistan took a number of measures as international terrorism financing became a bigger problem in the wake of the terrorist financing scandal.
Even BBC Urdu and other media have noted that a number of PMML candidates and office-bearers have been associated with organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Milli Muslim League (MML) which have been under international scrutiny or sanctions.
The party participated in Pakistan's 2024 general elections and held hundreds of candidates across the country. Talha Saeed, son of Hafiz Saeed, is among them who is declared as a terrorist by many countries.
Why Were LeT-Linked Figures at Shoaib Akhtar's Brother's Funeral?
— upuknews (@upuknews1) June 26, 2026
Questions are being raised after the funeral of Shahid Akhtar, brother of former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar.
A video reportedly released by PMML shows Islamabad President Inam ur Rehman Kamboh attending the… pic.twitter.com/4EqonMq7Dx
But there is currently no evidence that Shoaib Akhtar or his late brother Shahid Akhtar were members of the PMML or associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba or any banned terrorist organisation. There is no public evidence that either of them personally invited the political leaders who attended the funeral. However, the presence of PMML office-bearers has raised speculation and raised questions because of the party’s controversial background. At this stage Shoaib Akhtar has not publicly commented on the issue.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of Pakistan cricket’s long struggle to rebuild its international reputation after the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, which has taken place for a number of years and isolated Pakistan from hosting international cricket.
Until further evidence is given or an official statement is made, any suggestion of a direct link between Shoaib Akhtar or his family and any terrorist organisation remains unverified.
