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India-Pakistan

Rift in Lashkar-e-Taiba as top commanders Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi fall apart

2017-04-06

[INDIATODAY.INTODAY.IN] Top Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... (LeT) commanders Hafiz Saeed ...founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its false-mustache offshoot Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations declared the JuD a terrorist organization in 2008 and Hafiz Saeed a terrorist as its leader. Hafiz, JuD and LeT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pak intel apparatus, so that amounted to squat... and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are at loggerheads over issues pertaining to fanning unrest in Kashmire. Intelligence reports with the Indian security agencies reveal that the banned fissures have emerged in the banned terror group with differences cropping up between two of its top commanders. A report in Hindustan Times claimed that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Lashkar's operations commander who played a major role in plotting the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has 'got certain issues' with Saeed, who criminal masterminded the November 26, 2008 attacks. Saeed, founder of Jamaat-ud-Daawa, a front face of Lashkar, was put under house arrest by Pak authorities in January following immense international pressure. According to intelligence inputs, Lashkar may be preparing to launch a major attack in India as Lakhvi has asked most of his loyalists to shift base to Pakistain occupied Kashmire. "Lakhvi has shifted most of his loyalists to PoK. Inputs reveal that Lashkar has decided to not use its name in its actions in Kashmire," the report in Hindustan Times quoted intelligence reports as saying. The report also mentions that Lashkar has directed its operatives not to use the terror group's name in future attacks in India instead issue blurbs in the name of 'Quit Kashmire Movement'. The move is aimed at giving an impression of involvement of some home grown terror group. Intelligence inputs also said that terrorist groups are plotting to assassinate separatist leaders in Kashmire Valley to fan further turmoil in the region. The Kashmire Valley has witnessed a rise in stone pelting incidents following the death of terror 'poster boy' Burhan Wani's killing in an encounter in July, 2016. Indian security agencies have established that terror groups like Lashkar, Hizbul Mujahideen and others are fanning unrest in th region by inciting the youth.

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India-Pakistan

Ethnic nationalism and the plight of the Hazaras -- Dr Fawad Kaiser

2013-11-11

[Pak Daily Times] The Hazaras constitute a distinct ethnic group. Hazaras are of Mongolian and Central Asian descent and legend has it they are descendants of Genghis Khan and his soldiers who invaded Afghanistan in the 13th century. Almost all belong to the Shia Musselmen sect, speak a dialect of Farsi, and are also concentrated in central Afghanistan. There are some 600,000 to 700,000 Hazaras in Pakistain. In Quetta, many of them live on the Alamdar Road. Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... (HRW) research indicates that at least 275 Shias, mostly of Hazara ethnicity, have been killed in sectarian attacks in the southwestern province of Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... alone since 2008. Sectarian preference is a form of racial prejudice, and like prejudice, it is closely linked with the urge to obtain and keep power over others. Ethnicity is usually defined as that part of a person's identity that is drawn from one or more 'markers', like race, religion, shared history, region, social symbols or language. It is distinct from that part of a person's identity that comes from, say, personal moral doctrine, economic status, civic affiliations or personal history. Parlaying these into a concept of ethnic nationalism is tricky however; growing hatred as an ends-based concept does not make any sense if the motivating purpose of contention is some matter of specific relevance to an ethnic group. The inherent complexity and dynamism of ethnicity itself makes understanding this concept difficult. Constructing superior racial or religious ethnicity is a dangerous and contested target and so explanations of ethnic conflict with reference to such ethnic nationalism is liable to produce ominous harm. Unlike 'class conflict', which can be proved or disproved by using pretty stable measures of the people involved, like income, education, occupation, etc, the same cannot be said of ethnicity. Prejudices against other ethnic groups that appear 'essential', wax and wane as conditions change but the mere existence of conflict with other ethnic groups may shift the meaning of ethnicity on all sides. It is crucial that we focus on ethnic prejudice, and specifically on the sociological understanding of prejudice against certain minority groups. Ethnic nationalism is one of the main causes of the present plight of rhe Hazara community and the increasing flow of immigration to Europe and Australia. This kind of nationalism emerges from biased ethnic beliefs among certain groups in the community towards other ethnic groups through vernacular mobilisation of ancient deeply held religious concepts. Self-introspection and de-politicising ethnic nationalists and its members would draw into purifying the concepts prescribed in Islam and its elements, which, in turn, may lead to protecting against the expulsion of communities like the Hazaras in Pakistain. The Australian government has offered asylum to 2,500 Hazara families of Pakistain who have been affected by terrorism on humanitarian grounds. Many young Hazaras have left Quetta, and it is estimated that 90 percent of those fleeing the violence do so illegally. Widespread fear of harassment, discrimination and killings has made Hazaras escape their plight. The Hazaras, who are Shias and are distinguishable due to their features, have been a target of ethnic cleansing by bully boy organizations for political and religious ideological reasons. 'Outside hands' being behind the violence cannot be underestimated, and such perceptions are not as simple because the sources of violence in Balochistan are multifactorial in themselves. Grouping up of snuffies in Balochistan has certainly contributed to an increase in the Hazara-Shia violence and is evident in many ways, such as the relations between the Hazara and Baloch communities. Moreover, it could also be inflamed by the current demand for military intervention by the Hazaras in the province. This promulgates its own set of violence against Baloch nationalists, and thus draws the rift between the two communities even deeper. Shias and other minority communities say banned Sunni bully boy organizations like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi ... a 'more violent' offshoot of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain. LeJ's purpose in life is to murder anyone who's not of utmost religious purity, starting with Shiites but including Brelvis, Ahmadis, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Rosicrucians, and just about anyone else you can think of. They are currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of al-Qaeda ... (LeJ) and Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... (LeT)/Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) are those behind the violence. These groups have been banned by the Pak government, but the LeT has rebranded itself as the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ...which is the false nose and plastic mustache of the murderous banned extremist group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain, whatcha might call the political wing of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi... . The fact remains that theLeT/JuD has not withdrawn a fatwa condemning Shias to death. Geo-political influences sour the analysis with the notion that the Hazara killings are an extension of the old Iran-Saudi cold war, and Sunni bully boy organization leaders get funding from Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... . There are some who would suspect Hazaras getting money from Iran as a possible reason for being targeted. The Iran gas pipeline and Gwadar port project have significant geo-political significance and add to the continuing domestic terrorism in subtle ways. There is a deep-set suspicion that Iran may be interfering in Pakistain's security establishment, which dates back to the confrontation over Afghanistan and the Taliban. Moreover, easy trade through a functional Gwadar Port would draw another dimension to the strategic importance of Balochistan province. The Pakistain government has faced widespread criticism for its inability to stop the violence. Pakistain government cannot ignore the innocent killing of the Hazara community, and has to investigate these killings. As Hazaras continue to be slaughtered in cold blood, the callousness and indifference of the authorities offers a damning indictment of the state, its military and security agencies. Pakistain's tolerance for bully boy forces of Evil is not just destroying lives and alienating entire communities, it is destroying Pakistain's image across the world. Government has to make transparent efforts to promptly apprehend and prosecute those responsible for attacks and other crimes targeting the Hazara population. The government's consistent failure to protect the Hazara community from sectarian attacks by Sunni bully boy groups is reprehensible and amounts to complicity in the brutal killing of Pak citizens. The extreme violence in Quetta means many Hazaras are fighting for survival and feel pessimistic about their future in Pakistain. Faced with the security risks, Dr ZZ (name cannot be disclosed due to security reasons) had to give up his years of successful GP practice in Quetta and is now residing in the UK, desperately demanding justice from the Pakistain government for the loss of his homeland and years of true love for his country. He is hopeful to reach the oasis but is worryingly afraid of his fast growing unforgiving anger. Dr ZZ is just an example of the hundreds of Hazaras who would love to live in Pakistain, adore their country, want to be treated like normal human beings and would like to see a safe homeland. Ethnic conflict might be defined as a sustained and violent conflict by ethnically distinct actors, in which the issue is integral to one ethnicity. It seems at least possible that some longstanding disputes seen in recent years are enduring enough to qualify. The Ayodhya temple, the Temple Mount and the Orange Day parades may suggest this kind of ethnic conflict purely identificational, often irrational, and deeply impervious to amelioration. Yet such instances are rare. Chronicles of Serbian aggression against Kosovars in terms of the 'ancient hatreds' of Yugoslavia were seen in history but Bill Clinton's words fell silent when the Serbians voted their tyrant Slobodan Milosevic out of office in 2000, and sent him to stand trial for war crimes. Distinctive political systems have spawned religion-based civil wars not because 'religious identity is fixed and non-negotiable' but because basic human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... freedoms are fixed and non-negotiable. Religious identity is almost certainly dynamic and elastic and ancient hatreds are simply the ignored chapters in social phenomena.

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India-Pakistan

The Pakistani spring

2012-06-04

[Dawn] EVEN after several attempts in the last few decades, Pakistain has been waiting for its own version of the Arab spring. The Arab spring in the Middle East is itself in transition and it is difficult to predict the course it will take. The Islamist forces there have not only become part of the mainstream but have also gained a substantial stake in power. Many wonder if the Islamists in Pakistain can go down the same road. The Islamists in the two scenarios operate in contexts that are poles apart. In the Arab world, Islamist forces suffered for long under very harsh dictatorships, while their namesakes in Pakistain enjoyed perks and power as supporters of almost all governments; here, they have influenced the policy discourse. The lessons the Islamists learned in the Arab world persuaded them to modify their approach and this has contributed towards their successful entrance into the corridors of power. They have also succeeded where others failed, leaving the West no option but to recognise their mandate -- which was not the case when the Islamic Salvation Front scored an electoral victory in Algeria or Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, in Paleostine. The West may simply have learned that pressure on liberal democracies may be counterproductive but credit is also due to the Islamists whose accommodative, persistent and flexible attitude paved the way for 'Islamist democracies'. Constitutionally, Pakistain is already an Islamic republic -- a status which has eluded most of the Islamic world so far. Making comparisons in two important aspects would be worthwhile; first, the level of anger and frustration among Mohammedan youth, and secondly, what they want to achieve. In Pakistain, the anger against the ruling elite is rising. The major contributing factors identified are political, economic and ideological. By contrast, in the Arab world, demands for freedom of expression and better economic conditions were the triggers for the spring. On that stage, the constitutional legitimacy of Islam was not the protesters' destination. The Islamists are trying to develop good governance models and trying not to disturb the social contract which their societies have had for a long time. That has been the key to their success. In Pakistain, whenever the Islamists have got the opportunity to taste power, whether through democratic means or by allying with military dictators, they have influenced the constitutional sphere to push through their narrow agendas. This has created resentment against them among the urban classes. From Mufti Mehmud's government in the then NWFP in the 1970s to Gen Ziaul Haq's Majlis-e-Shura and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's provincial governments in the western border provinces, the Islamists have tried to build legal fortifications around the fort of Islam of their interpretation. Despite the contrasts, the Arab world has remained a source of inspiration for Islamists in Pakistain. Different religious parties in the country have maintained links with the governments and Islamist elements in the Arab world, although often these links have only remained confined to groups with a shared sectarian identity. It seems that the religious political parties in Pakistain have failed to make use of the anxiety prevailing among the masses to start a meaningful movement aimed at realising the change they seek. The Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... (JI), which has considerable links with Islamist movements abroad (mainly with likeminded Brotherhood movements in the Arab world) has failed to mobilise its supporters. Some analysts argue that Paks appear least concerned about the sea change in the Arab world on account of internal political, economic and security crises. This may not be the case after all, as religious publications have certainly focused on the changes in the Arab world -- yet unfortunately along sectarian lines. The Arab spring is indeed influencing the Pak youth and Islamists in certain ways. As Pakistain's young are largely confused in their ideological and political vision, the thinking patterns in Pakistain are dominated by an ideologically strong national state vision with a good governance model. In the peripheries, ethnic identity and secular tendencies have taken on growing importance. Islamist forces were used to force peripheral tendencies through the 'mainstream' vision, but now it seems that divergent trends are also emerging. The prevailing trends offer space for new political forces that can satisfy both tendencies. The Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... is trying to exploit mainstream tendencies and Islamists have the potential to manipulate a favourable outcome in other areas. But the political landscape in Pakistain is diverse, competitive and complex. It would be a harder task to generate a change on the pattern of the Arab spring. The Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... (Fazl) (JUI-F) seems to believe that it has correctly assessed the changing scenario, is taking a more pronounced anti-establishment stance and trying to gain ground in the political mainstream. However, the hip bone's connected to the leg bone... the party is beset by a conformist support base and deficient organizational structure. Although the madrassahs have increased their influence in Pakistain, their students and teachers come mainly from the peripheries and lack the capacity to influence the local political discourse. For mobilising the required wave of change, a good organizational network and likeminded people among the leadership are needed -- and the JUI-F lacks both. The JI qualifies on both counts but it is persisting with its traditional political path despite recent changes. Pakistain has received some negative influences from the changes in the Arab world, too. Each school of sectarian thought is trying to interpret those changes through a sectarian prism. During the unrest in Bahrain, Pakistain's religious parties held street demonstrations in support of their faith-fellows. Even the Jamaat-ud-Daawa was quite active in supporting Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in their national face... . Investigators connected attacks on the Saudi consulate in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and the killing of a diplomat with the events in the Gulf. As tensions increase in the Gulf, the sectarian divide increases in Pakistain. The current trends show that the Arab spring may not trigger the same wave in Pakistain but its influence over the religious discourse may continue to have a negative effect, at least until the fate of the change in the Arab world itself takes definite shape.

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India-Pakistan

Govt warned against restoring NATO supplies

2012-02-13

KARACHI — Leaders of religio-political alliance on Sunday vowed that Nato supplies would not be allowed to resume at any cost and urged the masses to lay siege to Parliament House on February 20, during a rally attended by thousands at Bagh-e-Qaid in Karachi. The speakers also demanded immediate end to drone attacks, have relations with United States on equal terms, release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui and measures to solve the worsening situation in Balochistan. No, no, no, and who cares? The 44-party alliance top leaders including Jamat-e-Islami’s (JI) Syed Munawar Hassan, Jamiat Ulema Islam’s (JUI) Maulana Samiul Haq, Jamaat-ud-Daawa Amir Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, Sheikh Rashid and Ejazul Haq addressed the gathering and all of them condemned ‘foreign meddling’ in the country. They warned against the possible reopening of the Nato supply and PPP-led government’s policies leading to corruption and rampant inflation.

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India-Pakistan

War against India inevitable if Kashmir dispute not solved soon: Speakers

2010-02-05

LAHORE: The long-standing Kashmir dispute should be resolved at the earliest otherwise the war against India would be inevitable. India has practically conducted atomic bombing against Pakistan by building numerous dams in Kashmir. The reduced Pakistani water share would turn the land barren. But thanks to the media, which has brought this critical issue to limelight. These views were expressed by the speakers at a Forum entitled ‘Kashmir Freedom Movement and Pakistan' organised by TheNation, Nawa-i-Waqt and Waqt News at the Hamid Nizami Hall here on Wednesday. The speakers included Member Islamic Ideology Council-Azad Kashmir and former Member Kashmir Legislative Assembly Maulana Mohammad Shafi Josh, Member AJK Legislative Assembly and Secretary General People's Muslim League AJK Chapter Dewan Ghulam Mohyuddin, Director Kashmir Centre Lahore Mirza Mohammad Sadiq Jarral and Central Leader Jamaat-ud-Daawa Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki. Earlier, the speakers also met Editor-in Chief TheNation and Nazria Pakistan Trust (NPT) Chairman Majid Nizami. Speaking on the occasion, Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki said that the Kashmir issue was put aside during the regime of former President Musharraf that gave India liberty to construct the dams on Pakistani water share. He opined that the Pakistani media should reply in a befitting manner to the Indian channels trying to malign Pakistan in the international community. Pakistan is in danger. We need to formulate an effective strategy to salvage our sovereignty, and to plead the case of our Kashmiri brethren,ö he remarked. He was of the view that the government should lift the ban from all the genuine religious outfits, and patronise them for Jehad. ôThe war on terror is not ours, but the US has imposed it on Pakistan,ö he clarified. Makki appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudrhy and Lahore High Court Chief Justice Kh Muhammad Sharif to take suo moto action of the grave situation of water crisis. Dewan Ghulam Mohyuddin said if the Kashmir dispute was not resolved in the next one or two years the existence of Pakistan would be at risk. He warned India to remain in limits otherwise be ready to face the music. He opined that Pakistan should decide time frame and objectives before the commencement of composite dialogue with India to settle the Kashmir dispute. Appreciating the role of Majid Nizami, Maulana Mohammad Shafi Josh said that the Nawa-i-Waqt Group was playing a pivotal role regarding the issue of Kashmir. He said that according to the Quaid, Kashmir was the jugular vein of Pakistan. He recalled that the Quaid had declared Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar and Ch Ghulam Abbas Khan as his successors. ôPakistan is incomplete without the liberation of Kashmir,ö he maintained. He called upon all the political and religious leaders to unite for the cause of Kashmir. Mirza Mohammad Sadiq Jarral said that all the options - suggested by Pakistani govt, especially during Musharraf regime - went in favour of India, which always took advantage of our pro-American policies. He said India was exploiting our trade and engulfing our resources by building dams on our rivers. “The govt should warn India instead of initiating dialogue, because such talks never gave fruitful results,' he said.

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India-Pakistan

UN should have also heard JuD: LHC

2009-05-10

[The News (Pak)] A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), hearing a habeas corpus petition against the detention of Jamaat-ud-Daawa chief Hafiz Saeed and other leaders, on Friday observed that the United Nations should consider the rights of people as the JuD was an organisation established in the name of human rights. The United Nations should have afforded an opportunity of hearing to the JuD leaders before imposing restrictions on them, observed the bench, headed by Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry. Justice Hasnat Ahmad Khan and Justice Zubda-tul-Hussain were the other members of the three-member bench. The bench adjourned proceedings as arguments of the petitioner's counsel would continue on May 12. Earlier, AK Dogar in his arguments said the UN had a biased policy towards the Muslim countries and violated its own principles, as had happened in the case of the JuD. He repeated his contention that the UN in its resolutions did not seek detention of the JuD leaders and even the ban on their travel violated Article 15 of the Constitution.

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India-Pakistan

LeT commander furious at JuD chief

2009-01-16

Chief operational commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT) Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, arrested on December 10 by the Pakistani authorities in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, is furious at the Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) leadership's decision to publicly disown him in his hour of trial instead of trying to bail him out. According to circles close to the Pakistani authorities, involved in grilling Lakhvi to ascertain whether the LT is actually involved in the Mumbai mayhem, the commander is extremely hurt by a recent statement from a JuD spokesman that both the arrested Lashkar leaders Zakiur Rehman and Zarar Shah never had any link with either Hafiz Mohammad Saeed or the JuD. In a bid to shield Saeed, JuD spokesman Abdullah Muntazir told the Times of India on January 9, 2008: "In any case, Lakhvi and Zarar, the two men India is talking about, were never associated with the JuD, which has always been into charity work only." It had been conveyed by Hafiz Saeed himself in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes, the spokesman said, adding there were elements in the Pakistan government that wanted to target religious organisations. Circles close to Hafiz Saeed say there was nothing new in the JuD spokesman's stance as its leadership had repeatedly denied any link with them. But a former LT office-bearer -- now a part of the JuD -- confirmed on condition of anonymity that Lakhvi was extremely upset over the U-turn taken by his former close associates and complains they had abandoned him at a time when he desperately needed their backing. Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, alias Abu Waheed Irshad Ahmad, comes from the Okara district of the Punjab province. Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Mumbai attacker caught alive by the Indian authorities, belongs to the same area. Born on December 30, 1960 to the lower middle class family of Hafiz Azizur Rehman in Chak No. 18 of Rinala Khurd in Okara, Lakhvi is considered to be a close associate of Hafiz Saeed and has been named by Ajmal Kasab as his trainer as well as the planner of the Mumbai carnage. While Pakistan has already turned down an Indian demand for Lakhvi's extradition despite American pressure, the JuD has deemed it fit to disown him. In 1988, Abu Abdur Rahman Sareehi, a Saudi national and allegedly a close associate of Osama bin Laden, founded in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar an organisation which recruited Afghan youths and Pakistanis from the Bajaur Agency to fight Soviet occupation troops in the Central Asian country. Sareehi, the brother-in-law of Zaki Lakhvi, is believed to have contributed a hefty amount of Rs10 million to the construction of the Muridke headquarters of the Lashkar-i-Taiba, called the Markaz Daawa Wal Irshad, way back in 1988. The organisation flourished in Kunar and Bajaur areas as thousands of youths from Pakistan belonging to the Deobandi Salafi school of thought instantly joined its camps set up in Afghan provinces of Kunar and Paktia, both of which had a sizable number of Ahle Hadith (Wahabi) followers of Islam, besides hundreds of Saudis and Afghans. International media reports say Zaki Lakhvi was one of the main trainers at the Kunar camp of anti-Soviet militants. As the Lashkar had joined the Afghan jihad at a time it was winding down, the group did not play a major part in the fight against the Soviet forces, which pulled out in 1989. However, the participation of the Lashkar cadres in the Afghan jihad helped its leaders, particularly Hafiz Saeed and Zaki Lakhvi, win the trust of the Pakistani establishment. The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, beginning in 1989, came at an appropriate time to provide an active battleground for the Lashkar fighters when its leadership was made to divert its attention from Afghanistan and devote itself to the jihad in Kashmir, where it gained fame. As Lakhvi was subsequently made the supreme commander of the military operations in Jammu and Kashmir, his prime responsibility was to identify young men and indoctrinate them in jihad. In an April 1999 interview to an English daily from Muzzaffarabad, Lakhvi said: "We are extending our Mujahideen networks across India and preparing the Muslims of India against India. When they are ready, it will be the start of the break-up of India." A few months later, at the three-day annual congregation of the LT held at its Muridke headquarters, 30 kilometres from Lahore, Lakhvi justified the launching of fidayeen missions in Jammu and Kashmir. He continued: "Following Pakistani withdrawal from the Kargil heights and the Nawaz-Clinton statement in Washington, it was important to boost the morale of the Kashmiri people... These fidayeen missions have been initiated to teach India a lesson as they were celebrating Pakistani withdrawal from Kargil. And let me tell you very clearly that our next target would be New Delhi." Incidentally, the Indian parliament was attacked later on December 13, 2001. Subsequently, the US State Department declared the Lashkar a terrorist outfit, followed by a similar decision by the Musharraf regime. The LT later renamed itself as Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) in a bid to separate its military actions in Kashmir from its religious undertakings in Pakistan. While stepping down as the Lashkar ameer at a press conference in Lahore on December 23, 2001, Hafiz Saeed appointed Maulana Abdul Wahid Kashmiri as his successor. But Lakhvi was retained as the supreme operational commander of the LT. However, differences soon erupted between Saeed and Lakhvi over distribution of the organisation's assets, prompting the latter to revolt against Saeed and launch his own splinter group with the name of Khairun Naas (KuN). Their animosity grew to the extent that some of the Zaki-led rebel group members -- largely consisting of LT fighters -- reportedly took oath to assassinate Hafiz Saeed. According to Saeed's aides, he first came under fire from Zaki when he decided to launch JuD and separated the LT infrastructure from the Jamaat. Lakhvi, being the chief operational commander of the LT, disapproved of the decision, saying it was meant to put the JuD in control of all the funds collected locally and abroad. He was of the view that as heavy donations were being collected in the name of the Kashmir jihad from all over Pakistan as well as abroad, the JuD leadership had no right to the money because it was only a preaching organisation. Sources close to Lakhvi revealed many of the dissident aides to Saeed were basically annoyed at his second marriage with a fallen mujahid's 28-year-old widow. Saeed was 58 at the time of his marriage and had justified his act by saying the wedding was only meant to provide shelter to the widow of the fighter, who had lost his life in Jammu and Kashmir and had left behind two kids. However, a year later, Saeed and Lakhvi were made to mend fences and the two were the best of friends at the time of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. But Zaki Lakhvi had already moved the LT headquarters from Muridke to Muzaffarabad by then. In July 2006, the Indian authorities alleged that Azam Cheema, a LT operative accused of being the ring leader in the 2006 bombing of the Mumbai rail network [that killed over 200 people] was trained and sent to the Indian port city by Lakhvi. The Mumbai police commissioner then claimed that an arrested militant, Abu Anas, has confessed to being the bodyguard of Lakhvi. In May 2008, the US Treasury Department announced freezing the assets of four LT leaders including Lakhvi. In October, 2007, Lakhvi's 20-year-old son Mohammad Qasim was reportedly killed in an encounter with the security forces at the Gamaroo village in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora area. In the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks, the Indian authorities alleged Zaki Lakhvi, usually based in Muzaffarabad, had moved to Karachi in August 2008, the port city from where LT militants set off, so he could direct operations. The sole survivor of the Mumbai attacks, Ajmal Kasab, apparently told police Lakhvi had helped indoctrinate all the attackers. On December 3, 2008, India finally named him as one of four major planners behind the Mumbai terror attacks. And that he had allegedly offered to pay the Kasab family Rs150,000 for his participation in the assaults. On December 7, 2008, the Pakistani security forces arrested Lakhvi after raiding the JuD headquarters in Muzaffarabad. The Indian dossier handed over to Pakistan on January 5 includes transcription of intercepted telephonic conversation between the Mumbai attackers and Lakhvi. However, circles close to the arrested LT chief operational commander reject the Indian dossier as a pack of lies and insist Lakhvi has nothing to do with the Mumbai strikes.

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India-Pakistan

Mumbai Terror Outfit's Teachings Exposed

2008-12-30

By Ahmar Mustikhan A leading member of the Pakistan civil society has exposed the war-mongering ideology of the Jamaat ud Daawa, or JuD, the umbrella organization of the Lashkar-i-Toiba or Army of Pure—the terror outfit responsible for the Mumbai mayhem in November that left 200 people dead and over 300 injured. Dr. Rubina Saigol of Action Aid Pakistan has expressed her disgust at the teachings of the jihadist outfit that had tried to show a softer face to the world immediately after the Mumbai attacks by inviting journalists to its headquarters in Muridke, Punjab. The United Nations Security Council on December 11 imposed sanctions on the Pakistan-based terror outfit and declared four of its top leaders Dawaa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, suspected Mumbai terror mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Haji Muhammad Ashraf and Zaki-ur-Bahaziq as global terrorists. Saigol posted her views on a progressive Pakistani public yahoogroups emailing list called SPN, with nearly 5,000 members. She was responding to the views of another liberal Pakistani editor, Omar R. Quraishi, editorial page editor of largest circulation English newspaper The News International. In his article, Quraishi wrote: "Regrettably, this tendency to act superior than the rest of the world, ignore one's own warts and what not and to blame the rest of the world for all that ills the Islamic world is something that is found in many ordinary Pakistanis as well. Whether they have been influenced by organisations such as the JuD or whether the organisations have been influenced by the society that they have grown up in is not the issue but rather that the value system and worldview of the JuD and the LeT is in fact something that a lot of Pakistanis share -- particularly the view that a Hindu/Zionist/ American conspiracy of sorts has been put in motion to annihilate the Muslim world." India still has plans to bomb the Muridke headquarters of the terror outfit and many people in the renegade province of Baluchistan believe New Delhi would be fully justified in doing so. Even Indian Muslims were calling for tit-for-tat against Pakistan's rogue spy service Inter Services Intelligence and elements within the country's omnipotent army--the fourth largest in the world and armed with nuclear weapons. "The attacks were India's 911. The terror infrastructure has to be brought down. If the Congress Party will not act, it will lose the elections," the scion of a leading Muslim family from Mumbai said on a request of anonymity. Saigol concurring with Quraishi's view on Jamaat ud Daawa gave some glaring examples from textbooks "that they distribute to their students and which are not available openly in the market." She added the books are published by Jamaat ud Daawa press and are given to students free of charge. "The Mullahs [Islamic cleric] say that the books are meant to 'inspire' and to inculcate a truly Islamic spirit among students and to enable them to view Islam as a complete way of life, rather than as a set of rituals," Saigol said. "Through these textbooks children are given inspirational ideas and introduced to the objectives of Islam as seen by the Mullah. They are thus introduced the glorious Muslim past to inspire them to violence to re-create the past." She said Jamaat ud Daawa argues that Muslims alone have right to rule the world and are allowed to kill infidels that stand in the way of Islam and this is being taught in textbooks used by the Jamaat ud Daawa. Saigol said Daawa glorifies violence and hate and teaches the new version of alphabets in which children learn Bandook for Bai, Talwar for Tai, Tank for Ttai, jehaz for jeem and khanjar for khai, rocket for rai and tayyara for To-ay. [In English, all this will translate into G for gun, S for sword, T for tank, J for jet, K for knife, R for rocket and A for airplane.] "In the Urdu textbook, children are told that infidels are cowards by nature and when a holy warrior attacks them, they scream with terror and fear," she said. "Mujahideen are glorified as being on a mission from Allah and they are superheroes that kill Hindus and make infidels cower in fear," she said, referring from the pages of the textbook. She deplored games are organized around violence and killing and the children play with guns and learn to shoot at balloons, adding they play guerilla games of ambushing infidels, and in one story, a ten year old boy kills hundreds of Russians in Afghanistan . She said poems and stories are taught about young boys that wage jihad and children read fictitious letters from jihadis killed in battle. “If I am killed in battle, celebrate”, reads one letter to a mother and sister in the seventh grade textbook, and then admonishes, “Make sure you conceal your body and never wear perfume.” Obscurantists among Muslims call this decadent and sexist practice hijab. "India is presented as an enemy and Saudi Arabia as a best friend. Kashmir appears as Pakistani territory forcibly snatched by Hindus and Pakistan as a country created only for Muslims." Saigol said children are instructed to mercilessly beat up non-Muslims and are told in the second grade textbook that every student should become a holy warrior and that they should be willing to lay down their lives for the great nuclear power that is Pakistan. Quraishi notes: "Another (JuD) post is devoted to Mother's Day, or rather to equating it more or less with paganism. In fact, another post is on how Muslims should beware of doing actions that make them equal to kaafirs [infidels] -- such as celebrating their holy days and festivals. Also, it is clearly mentioned that non-Muslims are kaafirs and should not be even befriended." Even after passage of one month, Pakistan is still in self-denial about the identity of the Mumbai terrorists. Though Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari initially admitted his country's non-state actors were involved in the Mumbai attacks, under the rogue army's instructions he has made a U-turn since then and said recently there were no solid proofs the lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab is a Pakistani national. Pakistan's leading English newspaper DAWN--owned by a cousin of Hussain Haroon, Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations-- recently carried an interview of Kasab's father from the Punjab town of Faridkot, confirming his son's identity. Baring one, all the 10 Mumbai terrorists were from Punjab, stronghold of the Pakistan army.

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Terror Networks

WND: Al-Qaida group funded by Christian-slave trade

2006-05-22

Pakistani, American missionaries film purchase of 20 boys in sting Two Christian men – one an American evangelist and the other a Pakistani missionary – have exposed a senior member of an al-Qaida-linked group behind a trade in Christian children by going undercover and secretly filming their purchase of 20 boys, age six to 12. Gul Khan, a wealthy militant and senior member of Jamaat-ud Daawa, an Islamic organization declared by the U.S. State Department to be a front for another banned terrorist group banned in Pakistan for joining with al-Qaida in 2003 in an attempted assassination of President Pervez Musharraf, was filmed by a hidden camera accepting $28,500 from a Pakistani missionary posing as a businessman wanting to purchase boys to work for him as street beggars. The two Christian men hatched their elaborate sting after seeing pictures of the abducted boys, taken from Christian villages in the Punjab, the London Times reported. During the months the two developed their plan, the American evangelist, who runs a small charity called Help Pakistani Children returned to the U.S. to raise funds. He asked to be identified only as "Brother Dave," His Pakistani counterpart took on the identity of a businessman named "Amir." "We knew if we just purchased the boys, the slavers would just restock. We would be fuelling the slave trade," said Brother David. Neither man knew when Amir made contacts in the black market to set up a meeting with the boys' abductors, the trail would lead to Khan or the JUD. "We realized we were out of our depth," Brother David said. But they didn't give up – and they prayed. Within a week, Amir had purchased three of the boys for $5,000 and paid a $2,500 deposit for the remaining 17. Amir was given two months to raise $28,500 to complete the purchase. Khan, he said, told him it would not be a problem if the deadline was missed – he could make more money by selling them for their organs. While Brother David was in the U.S. raising the needed funds, Amir continued to socialize with Khan who always had a retinue of Kalashnikov-toting bodyguards. He also began to work with the police in hopes they would arrest Khan, but the authorities insisted that any transaction be secretly recorded for evidence. Almost two weeks ago, Amir was summoned to meet Khan to complete the deal. Although police, disguised as laborers, were stationed close to the outdoor meeting site, Khan's agents took Amir and his assistant to a second location for the exchange. To Amir's dismay, Khan took the bag of cash – and the assistant as a hostage – saying he would release the children and the assistant once he determined the currency was real. Khan was filmed driving from the meeting with a bag full of money to the JUD headquarters at Muridke, near Lahore. In the late '90s, Osama bin Laden funded the building of JUD's headquarters. The group's assets were frozen last month after the U.S. Treasury Department declared the group a terrorist organization. "I was so praying that your money was good," Amir's assistant told him later. After several hours, the hostage and 17 boys were freed. They have been returned to their parents, many of whom had given up hope of ever seeing their sons. The two Christian men are prepared to present their evidence and have demanded the prosecution of Khan and an investigation of JUD, but the police told them the reach of Pakistan's Islamic groups is too long for them to be dealt with directly. They continue to flourish, despite repeated "crackdowns" on extremists by the Pakistan government. JUD's leader, Hafez Muhamed Sayeed, was accused of inciting riots earlier this year in connection with the cartoons of the prophet Muhammed published by a Danish newspaper. "The slavers must be stopped and brought to justice," Brother David said. "I pray that a public outcry will arise in Pakistan and around the world that will put an end to their vile business."

Link

India-Pakistan

WND : Al-Qaida group funded by Christian-slave trade

2006-05-21

Pakistani, American missionaries film purchase of 20 boys in sting © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Two Christian men – one an American evangelist and the other a Pakistani missionary – have exposed a senior member of an al-Qaida-linked group behind a trade in Christian children by going undercover and secretly filming their purchase of 20 boys, age six to 12. Gul Khan, a wealthy militant and senior member of Jamaat-ud Daawa, an Islamic organization declared by the U.S. State Department to be a front for another banned terrorist group banned in Pakistan for joining with al-Qaida in 2003 in an attempted assassination of President Pervez Musharraf, was filmed by a hidden camera accepting $28,500 from a Pakistani missionary posing as a businessman wanting to purchase boys to work for him as street beggars. The two Christian men hatched their elaborate sting after seeing pictures of the abducted boys, taken from Christian villages in the Punjab, the London Times reported. During the months the two developed their plan, the American evangelist, who runs a small charity called Help Pakistani Children returned to the U.S. to raise funds. He asked to be identified only as "Brother Dave," His Pakistani counterpart took on the identity of a businessman named "Amir." "We knew if we just purchased the boys, the slavers would just restock. We would be fuelling the slave trade," said Brother David. Neither man knew when Amir made contacts in the black market to set up a meeting with the boys' abductors, the trail would lead to Khan or the JUD. "We realized we were out of our depth," Brother David said. But they didn't give up – and they prayed. Within a week, Amir had purchased three of the boys for $5,000 and paid a $2,500 deposit for the remaining 17. Amir was given two months to raise $28,500 to complete the purchase. Khan, he said, told him it would not be a problem if the deadline was missed – he could make more money by selling them for their organs. While Brother David was in the U.S. raising the needed funds, Amir continued to socialize with Khan who always had a retinue of Kalashnikov-toting bodyguards. He also began to work with the police in hopes they would arrest Khan, but the authorities insisted that any transaction be secretly recorded for evidence. Almost two weeks ago, Amir was summoned to meet Khan to complete the deal. Although police, disguised as laborers, were stationed close to the outdoor meeting site, Khan's agents took Amir and his assistant to a second location for the exchange. To Amir's dismay, Khan took the bag of cash – and the assistant as a hostage – saying he would release the children and the assistant once he determined the currency was real. Khan was filmed driving from the meeting with a bag full of money to the JUD headquarters at Muridke, near Lahore. In the late '90s, Osama bin Laden funded the building of JUD's headquarters. The group's assets were frozen last month after the U.S. Treasury Department declared the group a terrorist organization. "I was so praying that your money was good," Amir's assistant told him later. After several hours, the hostage and 17 boys were freed. They have been returned to their parents, many of whom had given up hope of ever seeing their sons. The two Christian men are prepared to present their evidence and have demanded the prosecution of Khan and an investigation of JUD, but the police told them the reach of Pakistan's Islamic groups is too long for them to be dealt with directly. They continue to flourish, despite repeated "crackdowns" on extremists by the Pakistan government. JUD's leader, Hafez Muhamed Sayeed, was accused of inciting riots earlier this year in connection with the cartoons of the prophet Muhammed published by a Danish newspaper. "The slavers must be stopped and brought to justice," Brother David said. "I pray that a public outcry will arise in Pakistan and around the world that will put an end to their vile business."

Link

India-Pakistan

Hundreds held as Pak protests go on

2006-02-18

Police on Friday arrested hundreds of activists of opposition parties and religious organisations, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Khwaja Saad Rafique, as protests against caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PTUI peace be upon him) continued throughout the country. MNA Rafique and his party’s Punjab secretary general Zaim Qadri were arrested by plainclothes policemen in a restaurant in Blue Area when both were having lunch after participating in a rally, PML-N officials said. However, police authorities denied the arrest. “I didn’t send any cops to arrest Saad Rafique,” Rawalpindi District Police Officer Saud Aziz told Daily Times. The PML-N officials said both were arrested on charges of instigating a mob during a violent rally in Lahore on February 14. Islamabad SSP Sikander Hayat also denied the arrests, saying he had not been contacted by Rawalpindi Police for assistance to arrest a member of the National Assembly. Sources said about 300 senior workers of the ARD and MMA had been arrested in Lahore alone in the last 24 hours. They said several hundreds were arrested in other Punjab cities and police were still raiding locations to arrest people allegedly involved in instigating the protesters in Lahore. Jamaat ud-Daawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was detained at his house. “Hafiz Saeed has been detained at his Johar Town residence and a heavy contingent of police has surrounded his house and is not allowing him to come out even for the Friday sermon,” Jamaatu Daawa Information Secretary Habibullah Salfi told Daily Times. He said Saeed was due to address a conference in Faisalabad. Jamiat Mushaikh Pakistan President Pir Fazale Haq has also been arrested. PPP Punjab spokesman Naveed Chaudhry claimed that more than 600 workers of his party had been arrested in Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities. He warned of a massive protest against the government if opposition workers were not released in 24 hours. Protests continued on Friday throughout the country. About 44 protesters, including a union council nazim, were held in Sheikhupura for looting, aerial firing and damaging public and private property during a protest. Police tear-gassed and baton charged thousands of protesters in Kasur. In Karachi, police arrested 70 after firing tear gas to disperse about 2,000 people who had blocked the Super Highway. About 7,000 people protested in Rawalpindi. Police detained about 35 members of the Shabab-e-Milli who tried to stage a violent rally in Multan. About 1,000 demonstrated in Peshawar and thousands gathered in Quetta in a peaceful rally.

Link

Afghanistan-Pak-India

70 Lashkar bad boyz killed in quake

2005-10-12

Approximately 70 militants of the outlawed group Lashkar-e-Taiba died in the massive earthquake which struck Pakistan and part of Kashmir on October 8, a party leader said on Tuesday. Was Hafiz Saeed among them, we hope? The guerrillas from the Pakistan-based Lashkar, now known as the Jamaat-ud-Daawa, died in Muzaffarabad after the 7.6-scale quake struck the region. Yep. That was where God struck them dead. A leader of the underground outfit, Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi, said that the group had taken a severe blow. "I mean, Allah is really cheesed at us!" "This casualty figure may cross 100 and even more, as we have no information about those killed in other areas of Muzaffarabad," he said. "I guess we're lucky the Lord didn't chase down and kill each of us personally..." The group members who survived the earthquake were attending funerals after every two to three hours, he said, while the Jamaat's religious schools and mosques had been razed to the ground. That's evidence enough for me. See you in church, Sunday morning... More than a dozen members died when the roof of the party office collapsed during a meeting, he said. That's worth at least a twenty in the collection box... "People are in desperate need of tents, blankets, medicine and water," he said, criticising the government its slow response. A Jamaat spokesman in Lahore said that party chief Hafiz Saeed was not in the region at the time of the quake and was still alive. Damn. I was hoping he'd been squished to a pulp when a mosque dropped on him... "The Jamaat has a strong following in all the earthquake-hit areas. "... which is why the earthquake struck where it did. Muzaffarabad was the epicenter of the earthquake, y'know. Now the survivors are all coming down with boils and I've heard there's a swarm of locusts on the way. We figger it's because we don't get enough shariah in our lives, of course..." "Saeed is safe and well," spokesman Yahya Mujahid said. "It's time to do jihad (holy war) of a different nature, by helping people in this hour of need. Maybe it's time to give up Evil? The Jamaat teams are working day and night," he said. ...and Allan knows best.

Link

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