Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi

Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi, sometimes referred to as Abdullah Azam or Zaki ur Rehman Lakhwi, is a founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba and currently serves as Supreme Commander of operations in Kashmir and as a member of LeT's General Council.[1]

Lakhvi, said to be 48 years old as of December 2008, was born in the Okara district of Punjab, Pakistan.[2] He has directed military actions in Chechnya, Bosnia, Iraq and South-east Asia and is referred to as Chachu, or Uncle, by the young trainees.[2][3]

In 1999 at a three-day annual congregation held at Muridke, he explained the reason for fidayeen suicide squad missions in the aftermath of the Kargil War: "After the Pakistani withdrawal from Kargil and the Nawaz-Clinton statement in Washington, it was important to boost the morale of the Kashmiri people... These Fidayen missions were initiated to teach India a lesson as they were celebrating after the Kargil war`` [4] He said that the next target would be New Delhi.[5]

In 2006, he asked LeT's members to begin training operatives for suicide bombings.[2] In the past, he told operatives to mount attacks in well-populated areas. Indian officials claim Lakhvi also oversaw Azam Cheema, who has been accused of being a leader in the 2006 bombing of the Mumbai rail network that killed more than 200 and left 700 injured.[2]

In May 2008, the US Treasury Department announced that it had frozen the assets of four Lashkar-e-Toiba leaders including Lakhvi.[3]

Involvement in November 2008 Mumbai Attacks

On December 3, 2008 Indian officials named him as one of four possible major planners behind the November 2008 Mumbai Attacks.[6] He reportedly offered to pay the family of Azam Amir Kasab the sum of Rs.150,000 for his participation in the attacks.[7] On December 7, 2008 Pakistani armed forces arrested Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi in a raid on an LeT training camp near Muzafarabad in Pakistani Kashmir.[8] He was among 12 people detained.[9] Pakistan confirmed the arrest but refused to hand over any of its citizens to Indian authorities.[10] Officials stated that any Pakistani citizen accused of involvement in the attack would be tried in Pakistan.[11]

On February 12, 2009 Rehman Malik, adviser to the prime minister on the interior, stated that Lakhvi was still in custody and under investigation as the foremost mastermind behind the attacks.[12][13]

On 25 November 2009, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court formally charged seven suspects, including LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, with planning and helping execute the Mumbai attacks, an action that came a day before the first anniversary of the brazen assault.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Terrorist Organization Member Profile: Zaki ur Rehman Lakhwi". National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. 2008-03-01. http://www.start.umd.edu/data/tops/terrorist_organization_member.asp?id=131. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
  2. ^ a b c d Buncombe, Andrew (2008-12-08). "'Uncle' named as Mumbai terror conspirator". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/uncle-named-as-mumbai-terror-conspirator-1057699.html. Retrieved 2008-12-17. 
  3. ^ a b "US freezes assets of Lashkar leaders". The Economic Times. 2008-05-29. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/US_freezes_assets_of_Lashkar_leaders/articleshow/3081444.cms. Retrieved 2009-01-27. 
  4. ^ "The Fidayen -- faithful to the death". Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.. 1999-11-12. http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19991112/ige12049.html. Retrieved 2009-01-27. 
  5. ^ "Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Ameer, Mujahideen-e-Lashker-e-Taiba". Archived from the original on 2000-01-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20000126211247/http://www.dawacenter.com/ijtimah/zaki-e.html. Retrieved 2009-01-27. 
  6. ^ Rondeaux, Candace (2008-12-04). "Rice Increases Pressure on Pakistan". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120300586.html?nav=rss_nation/special. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
  7. ^ Swami, Praveen (2008-12-01). "Pakistan now holds the key to probe: investigators". The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120157370100.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
  8. ^ Singh, Harmeet Shah (2008-12-08). "Pakistan raids camp over Mumbai attacks". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/08/pakistan.india.mumbai.arrests/index.html#cnnSTCText. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  9. ^ Ahmad, Munir (2008-12-08). "Pakistan arrests suspected Mumbai plotter". AP. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan. Retrieved 2008-12-08. 
  10. ^ "Pakistan snubs India over arrests". BBC News. 2008-12-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7772554.stm. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  11. ^ "Pakistan arrests Mumbai suspects". Al Jazeera. 2008-12-10. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/12/2008121085228795428.html. Retrieved 2008-12-10. 
  12. ^ Masood, Salman (2009-02-12). "Pakistan Announces Arrests for Mumbai Attacks". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/world/asia/13pstan.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
  13. ^ Haider, Kamran (2009-02-12). "Pakistan says it arrests Mumbai attack plotters". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE51B25820090212?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10112. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
  14. ^ "Pak anti-terror court declares Lakhvi as 26/11 mastermind". Express India. 2009-11-25. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Pak-antiterror-court-declares-Lakhvi-as-26-11-mastermind/546107/. Retrieved 2009-11-26.