Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

Deobandi Movement
Key figures

Qasim Nanotvi · Rashid Gangohi
Husain Madani · Mehmud Hasan
Shabbir Usmani · Ashraf Ali Thanwi
Anwar Kashmiri · Ilyas Kandhlawi
Ubaidullah Sindhi · Taqi Usmani
Notable Institutions

Darul Uloom Deoband, India
Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, India
Hathazari Madrassah, Bangladesh
Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama, India
Darul Uloom Karachi, Pakistan
Jamia Uloom ul Islamia, Pakistan
Jamiah Darul Uloom Zahedan, Iran
Darul Uloom London, England
Darul Uloom New York, United States
Darul Uloom Canada
Madrasah In'aamiyyah, South Africa
Movements

Tablighi Jamaat
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat
Sipah-e-Sahaba
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Taliban

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Urdu: لشكرِجهنگوی; alternately Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, LJ; English: Army of Jhangvi) is a militant organization. Formed in 1996, it has operated in Pakistan since Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) activist Riaz Basra broke away from the SSP over differences with his seniors.[1] The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Pakistan and the United States.[2]

Contents

Formation

Basra, along with Akram Lahori and Malik Ishaq, separated from Sipah-e-Sahaba and formed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in 1996. The newly formed group took its name from Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, one of the co-founders of the SSP. LJ's founders believed that the SSP had strayed from Jhangvi's ideals.[1][3] (Jhangvi was previously killed in a retaliatory bomb attack by Shia militants in 1990.)

Riaz Basra gained notoriety when he orchestrated the assassination of Iranian diplomat Sadiq Ganji in Lahore.[4] Basra was also involved in the killing of Iranian Air Force cadets visiting Pakistan in the early 1990s, when sectarian attacks on Shias in Pakistan were at their peak. Both acts occurred in the northern city of Rawalpindi and greatly disturbed contemporary Pakistan-Iran relations.

After Basra's death in May 2002, Akram Lahori succeeded him as leader of LJ.[3]

Malik Ishaq, the operational chief of LeJ, was released after 14 years by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 14 July 2011.[5][6][7][8]

Activities

LJ initially directed most of its attacks against the Pakistani Shia Muslim community. It also claimed responsibility for the 1997 killing of four U.S. oil workers in Karachi. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi attempted to assassinate Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (a Sunni) in 1999.[4] Basra himself was killed in 2002 when an attack he was leading on a Shia settlement near Multan failed. Basra was killed due to the cross-fire between his group and police assisted by armed local Shia residents.

Affiliations

LJ has ties to the Taliban, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and al-Qaeda.[1][15][3] In addition to receiving sanctuary from the Taliban in Afghanistan for their activity in Pakistan, LJ members fought alongside Taliban fighters. Pakistani government investigations in 2002 revealed that Al Qaeda has been involved with training of LJ, and that LJ fighters also fought alongside the Taliban against the Afghan Northern Alliance. The Pakistan Interior Minister, speaking of LJ members, stated: "They have been sleeping and eating together, receiving training together, and fighting against the Northern Alliance together in Afghanistan."

Upon the death of Riaz Basra in May 2002, correspondence between al-Qaeda and LJ seems to have stopped. Basra communicated to al-Qaeda commanders through Harkat ul-Ansar.[1]

Designation as a terrorist organization

The Government of Pakistan designated the LJ a terrorist organization in August 2001, and the U.S. classified it as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law in January 2003.[2] As a result, its finances are blocked worldwide by the U.S government.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Roul, Animesh (2005-06-02). [http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=497&tx_ttnews[backPid]=180&no_cache=1 "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi: Sectarian Violence in Pakistan and Ties to International Terrorism"]. Terrorism Monitor (Jamestown Foundation) 3 (11). http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=497&tx_ttnews[backPid]=180&no_cache=1. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  2. ^ a b Pakistani group joins US terror list BBC News South Asia. 30 January, 2003.
  3. ^ a b c "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi". South Asia Terrorism Portal. http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/Lej.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-11. 
  4. ^ a b Rory McCarthy Death by design Guardian (UK). Friday May 17 2002
  5. ^ Mir, Amir (2011-10-04). "Kidnappers of Taseer’s son want release of Qadri". The News International. http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=70814&Cat=6. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
  6. ^ Mukhtar, Imran (2011-10-06). "LeJ leader’s entry in Islamabad banned". The Nation. http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Islamabad/06-Oct-2011/LeJ-leaders-entry-in-Islamabad-banned. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
  7. ^ "Attack On Lankans: SC moved against Ishaq’s release". The Express Tribune. 2011-10-11. http://tribune.com.pk/story/271434/attack-on-lankans-sc-moved-against-ishaqs-release/. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
  8. ^ "Detention of Malik Ishaq, Shah extended for 2 months". The Nation. 2011-10-26. http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/26-Oct-2011/Detention-of-Malik-Ishaq-Shah-extended-for-2-months. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
  9. ^ a b "Pakistan: Fractured skull killed Bhutto". CNN. 2007-12-28. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/pakistan.friday/. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  10. ^ "Wave of Deadly Attacks in Pakistan". Wall Street Journal (Dow Jones & Company, Inc.). 2009-10-15. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125557894653686797.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLEThirdNews. Retrieved 2009-10-15. "In March, gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team during its visit to Lahore, killing six police officers. That attack, officials say, was masterminded by Mohammed Aqeel, also known as Dr. Usman, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Punjabi militant outfit with strong links to the main Pakistan Taliban faction and al Qaeda. Mr. Aqeel also led the attack on the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, officials say, and was captured in the attack." 
  11. ^ "Gunmen attack bus in Balochistan, 26 killed". The Express Tribune. 2011-09-20. http://tribune.com.pk/story/256419/gunmen-attack-bus-in-balochistan-20-killed/. 
  12. ^ "28 Shia Muslims shot dead by Lashkar militants in Pakistan". Daily News & Analysis. 2011-09-20. http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_28-shia-muslims-shot-dead-by-lashkar-militants-in-pakistan_1589572. 
  13. ^ "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi: inciting sectarianism in Afghanistan?". Dawn.com (Dawn Media Group). 2011-12-08. http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/08/lashkar-e-jhangvi-inciting-sectarianism-in-afghanistan.html. Retrieved 2011-12-08. 
  14. ^ Ahmad, Sardar (2011-12-07). "Karzai blames Pakistanis over sectarian massacre". Google News (AFP). http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuiDw_85Fc_czcRRDdjV3ooxsrIw?docId=CNG.8d286bd1dbe15a516592439618a32be0.3c1. Retrieved 2011-12-08. 
  15. ^ "Pakistan and the Taliban". Economist. 2009-08-07. http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14201152. Retrieved 2009–08–11. 

External links

An early version of this article was adapted from the public domain U.S. federal government sources.