Jundallah

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Jundullah (Army of Allah) (Urdu: جنداللہ) is a militant group reportedly based in Waziristan, NWFP, Pakistan. It may have links with Al-Qaeda.

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on February 21st, 2006 handed down death sentence to 11 members of an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, Jundullah, for attacking, Deputy Chief of Army General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, a top military general of Pakistan Army in 2004 in which 11 people were killed.

The militant Sunni group operates inside Iran's southeastern border. The group poses a threat to the country's Shi'ite clerical regime, which already faces a crisis with the West over its nuclear ambitions. The Iranian government has accused the United States of supporting the Sunni group as a destabilizing element against Ahmadinejad's regime. The Jundallah deny any link with the United States. The Iranian branch is believed to have emerged on the scene in 2003 and it is known for attention grabbing attacks against high profile Iranian targets, especially government and security officials. The leader is thought to be named Abdulmalak Rigi In a May telephone interview with Rooz, (Iranian online newspaper)¹, Rigi defended Jundallah's use of violence as a just means to defend Baluch and Sunni Muslim interests in Iran and to draw attention to the bad economic situation of the Baluch people whom he describes as Iran's poorest. Significantly, Rigi declares himself an Iranian and Iran as his home. He also denied to harbor separatist aspirations. According to Rigi Jundallah's goal is to improve the life of Iranian Baloch and Sunnis and not to separate from Iran or even demand autonomy. Nevertheless Jundallahs connection with Pakistan, who doesn't have a very close relations with Iran, raises some questions about the true intention of the group by some Iranian officials.

[edit] Arrest of Waheed brothers

On July 3, 2004, Karachi police on Friday arrested two doctor brothers (Dr. Akmal Waheed, a cardiologist, and Dr. Arshad Waheed, an orthopaedic surgeon), who were missing, and presumed kidnapped since June 17, claiming to have recovered a car, their passports and visa cards from their possession. The doctors were said to have close links to Jundullah and al-Qaeda, as they were providing shelter and financial and medical support to the terrorists, police claimed.^[1]

They were charged with providing medical assistance and protection to the activists. They went underground after arrest of Shahzad Bajwa, the frontman and Ata-ur-Rehman, the chief of Jundullah, the spokesman further claimed. During investigations and later before the court, Ata-ur-Rehman, the chief of Jundullah, had confessed that Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arshad Waheed had close links to him and were extending help by all means, the police spokesman added.^[1]

[edit] Death penalty for Jundullah activists

In February 2006, the Karachi anti-terrorist court awarded the death penalty and life imprisonment for eleven activists of Jundullah group for attacking the convoy of former Corps Commander Karachi, and incumbent Vice Chief of Army Staff, General Ahsan Saleem Hayat in Karachi on June 10, 2004.^[2]

The accused were Ata-ur-Rehman, Shahzad Bajwa, Aziz, Danish Imam, Khurram Saifullah Shoaib Siddiqui, Rao Khalid, Shahzad Mukhtar, Adnan, Yaqoob Saeed,, and Najeebullah belonging to a terrorist group namely Jundullah, and were accused of attacking the convoy of Genera Ahsan Saleem Hayat near Clifton bridge. Some 10 people, including six armymen, and three police personnel were killed and 21 injured in the attack.^[2]

The judge also handed down 14-year and 10-year prison terms for planting a bomb and damaging public property respectively. The court also ordered the convicts to pay Rs one lakh each to the heirs of the deceased, along with Rs 50,000 each as a fine for an attempt to murder charge and another Rs 50,000 fine each for damage to public property. In case of default, they will have to serve an additional six month jail sentence.^[2]

Once the judge announced the judgment, all the accused present in the court got to their feet and started to chant slogans " Allah-o-Akbar, besides flashing victory signs. Family members and relatives of the accused were also present in the courtyard of the court.^[2]

Five accused (Bilal, Qasim, Hammad, Shahab and Tayyeb) have already been declared absconding by the court.^[2]

Defense councils said that they would challenge the judgment in Sindh High Court within the stipulated period of seven days.^[2]