Pakistan presents ex-soldier after India kills LeT commander in Budgam

India killed Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Hashim Musa in Budgam on September 30, but Pakistan presented a retired soldier named Mohammad Asif as alive, sparking an identity dispute. The conflicting claims have not been independently resolved. Pakistan’s military showcased retired SSG Havildar Mohammad Asif at an October 1 press conference, rejecting Indian reports linking him to the slain militant. Indian officials identified the dead commander as "Musa, aka Asif Fauji," while social media comparisons of facial features remain unverified. Musa was the last survivor of a four-man LeT group blamed for attacks including the April 2025 Pahalgam killings of 26 civilians. Retired Indian officers dismissed Pakistan’s presentation as fake, but no biometric or forensic evidence has settled whether the two men are the same person.