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Friday March 29, 2024

LeJ founded at Minar-e-Pakistan receives a fatal blow to save Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a violent sectarian outfit founded at the Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore, received a fatal blow during Wednesday’s operation conducted in connection with a counter-terrorism campaign aimed to savePakistan whose foundation was also laid at the same place.As the LeJ’s founding leaders were killed during the police encounter, the development

By our correspondents
July 30, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a violent sectarian outfit founded at the Minar-e-Pakistan Lahore, received a fatal blow during Wednesday’s operation conducted in connection with a counter-terrorism campaign aimed to savePakistan whose foundation was also laid at the same place.
As the LeJ’s founding leaders were killed during the police encounter, the development has been greeted with tears of joys by the police and fears of a backlash by the public.Malik Ishaq, who had won the confidence of the security establishment after positively cooperating in negotiations during the hostage crisis when the GHQ came under attack in 2009, lost that trust by returning to sectarian violence.
The LeJ was founded by Riaz Basra, Malik Ishaq, Ghulam Rasool Shah and Akram Lahori in January 1996 when they had assembled on the lawns of the Minar-e-Pakistan to evolve a future strategy.
The former three had been killed, two of them on Wednesday, and Lahori is on death row waiting to be hanged in Karachi jail.The officials who investigated the four of them in the past had also inquired about the reason for creating the LeJ, among others. “They said there were disillusioned by the Sipah-e-Sihaba (their parent organisation),” an investigator told The News.
They had also explained to investigators the reason of choosing the venue of Minar-e-Pakistan for laying the foundation of the LeJ. Since it was a historic place where the foundation of a separate homeland for the Muslims was laid hence we considered it an appropriate venue for founding LeJ.
Although Riaz Basra shot to prominence after the failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, Malik commanded more influence than Basra. “He used to inspire the rank and file of LeJ more than Basra,” said an official who is considered authority on sectarian militancy.
Ghulam Rasool Shah, a native of Bahawalnagar, was considered the Ayman-ul-Zawahri of this banned outfit that was also involved in al-Qaeda-sponsored terrorist activities like the attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in addition to its own agenda of sectarian violence.
Malik was in prison when Basra had attacked Nawaz Sharif’s convoy.He was in Rahim Yar Khan jail when Muhamamd Aqeel alias Dr Usman had attacked the GHQ in March 2009. As Aqeel had demanded the release of his fellows including Malik as a condition for surrender, Malik was transported in a special plane from the prison to the GHQ.
Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi, head of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), and Mufti Abdul Rauf, the younger brother of Maulana Azhar Masood, were also airlifted to the GHQ for negotiation from Lahore and Bahawalpur, according to a report by Amir Mir.
Malik had confronted Aqeel questioning his credentials saying that one of the detainees in his demand list is already dead meaning thereby he didn’t have any knowledge of them, according to the officials privy to details. Also, he had urged Aqeel to surrender saying that LeJ had no enmity with the army as the banned outfit had sectarian goals to achieve.
Malik was released on bail in July 2011 after serving 14 years in prison only to be jailed again in March 2013 after allegedly masterminding a bomb blast in Rahim Yar Khan in January 2012.
He used to run a cigarette shop in his native town, Rahim Yar Khan, before becoming a conflict entrepreneur. Malik had joined the SSP after attending a sermon of the founding leading of the parent organisation, Haq Nawaz Jhangvi.
So indoctrinated was he by the teachings of Jhangvi that he had named a son after him who was incidentally also killed during Wednesday’s encounter in addition to Usman, another son of Malik Ishaq.
Other 11 militants killed during the encounter are relatively less known but considered the operational commanders of LeJ.
In addition to his role in LeJ, Malik and his associates were also part of ASWJ. Malik was its senior vice president until his expulsion after the murder of ASWJ’s president of its Punjab chapter, Shams-ur-Rehman Moavia, whose killing was allegedly masterminded by Malik.
As Wednesday’s encounter almost eliminated the top leader of the banned outfit, there are fears of a backlash from the remaining lot. Mati-ur-Rehman and Naeem Bokhar, two LeJ commanders are still at large.
The former is said to be operating from Afghanistan.While the banned outfit has received a setback in Punjab due to the Wednesday’s encounter, several of its leaders in Sindh have been killed halting its sectarian violence in Karachi.
Although the possibility of its resurgence can’t be ruled out, the security experts say it will not be an easy task. “LeJ will take time to recover,” said an expert who closely monitors their operations.