Who is Amir Hamza? Lashkar-e-Taiba co-founder hospitalised with serious injuries
Co-founder of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Amir Hamza, was reportedly hospitalised after sustaining injuries during an accident at his residence in Lahore.
Amir Hamza, who belongs to the terror outfit which is banned in India, is undergoing treatment after he was escorted to the hospital under the security cover of the ISI (Pakistan's spy agency) following an accident at his home, reported India Today. Details of his injuries and the incident are still unknown.
Also Read: If US can extradite Tahawwur Rana, why can't Pakistan hand over Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed: Indian diplomat
Amir Hamza, one of 17 founders of the LeT, has been designated as a global terrorist by the United States Treasury Department in 2012. Further, he is known to have played a crucial role in fundraising, recruiting and releasing detained militants.
The 66-year-old's death comes soon after Abu Saifulla, another high ranking Lashkar operative, was killed by unidentified gunmen in the country mere days ago.
Born on May 10, 1959, Hamza belongs to Gujranwala city in Pakistan's Punjab province and is often referred to as the 'Afghan Mujahideen'. He was appointed to the central committee of the LeT by fellow terror operatives Hafiz Saeed and Abdul Rehman Makki.
Also Read: 'Aap chor ko kya bologe': Vikram Misri's jibe at Pakistan over probing terror
Hamza, who belongs to Gujranwala in Pakistan's Punjab province, was an active terrorist who was active in India in the early 2000s. He and Saifullah, who was killed earlier this month, were part of the group behind the 2005 attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru.
In 2018, following financial crackdowns on LeT-affiliated charities Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by Pakistani authorities, Hamza allegedly distanced himself from the terror organisation, as per The Militant Leadership Monitor
Also Read: Pakistani forces targeted Golden Temple after India's strikes against terrorists: Indian Army
Soon after, he founded another group named Jaish-e-Manqafa, supposedly to continue militant operations, including in Jammu and Kashmir. The new terror outfit remains active.
Hamza was also one of the key ideologues of the organisation and editor of the outfit's publications. He has authored several books including Qafila Da'wat aur Shahadat in 2002 (Caravan of Proselytising and Martydom), Mainey Bible Se Pucha Qur'an Kyun Jaley ? (I Asked the Bible Why the Qurans were Set Alight) and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
19 minutes ago
- Hans India
Piyush Goyal rolls out red carpet for Swiss firms to invest in India
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has invited Swiss companies to expand their footprint in India and take advantage of the country's dynamic and rapidly growing market. The minister held a meeting in Bern with the leadership from several premier Swiss companies across diverse sectors and urged them to see India as a strategic hub for manufacturing, talent, and innovation. The discussions focussed on enhancing synergies between Indian and Swiss enterprises, with a special emphasis on innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable manufacturing, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday. Goyal assured the business leaders of India's unwavering commitment to fostering a conducive business environment through transparent regulatory processes, a robust Intellectual Property regime, and pro-investment policy frameworks. Following these strategic discussions, the Minister chaired two focussed roundtables with sectoral leaders from the Swiss industry —covering biotech and pharma, healthcare, and precision engineering, Defence, and Emerging Technologies. These sessions, hosted with the support of the Indian Embassy in Switzerland, highlighted India's scale, affordability, and rising innovation ecosystem. The Minister called on Swiss businesses to leverage the dedicated EFTA Desk at Invest India for handholding and facilitation support. He reiterated India's willingness to work towards regulatory harmonisation and mutual recognition agreements, highlighting India's proactive stance on building reciprocal bridges to encourage Swiss and Indian investments. In addition to industry interactions, the Minister also met with members of the Switzerland Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). He lauded the chapter for their contributions and for upholding the high standards and global reputation of the ICAI, while strengthening the India–Switzerland professional and business ecosystem. Swiss industry leaders across a diverse range of sectors — including biotechnology, precision manufacturing, healthcare, automation, Defence, cybersecurity, and advanced materials — expressed strong confidence in India's trajectory as a global economic powerhouse and an innovation-led growth destination, the statement said. Companies commended India's unique strengths: A vast and dynamic market, growing middle class, world-class engineering and scientific talent, and a policy environment that actively promotes ease of doing business, IP protection, and technology partnerships. For many, India is not only a promising market but also an ideal base for manufacturing, R&D, and co-creation of globally competitive solutions. Several firms indicated active interest in forming joint ventures, scaling operations, and localising production to serve both Indian and international markets. From cutting-edge cancer therapies and cell sciences to industrial automation, fibre optics, space technologies, and digital security, Swiss companies underscored their alignment with India's developmental priorities and sectoral growth plans. The sentiment was one of strategic alignment and long-term commitment. Many participants described India as a natural partner and conveyed readiness to invest in its next phase of growth, not only to tap into domestic demand but to position India as a hub in their global value chains, the statement added.
The Wire
19 minutes ago
- The Wire
India's Data Blackout: No Data Means No Accountability
Photo: Mark Owen Wilkinson Hughes/Unsplash Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute Now In any democracy, it is critical for the government to collect data in a timely and accurate manner. No data means no accountability. In response to several questions raised by MPs in parliament, the government has claimed that it does not have data. This includes data on the number of deaths due to lack of oxygen during COVID-19, paper leaks in competitive examinations like NEET, data on the losses caused due to natural calamities and the reasons for farmer suicides. Census The decennial Census, which was conducted in India without a break for 150 years, has not been held since 2011. The Census due in 2021 was delayed citing the COVID-19 pandemic, even as large political rallies and religious congregations were allowed to take place. The Indian government has finally announced that the next population Census will be conducted in 2027. The Census is not just an academic exercise; it has serious implications for policymaking. Not conducting the census directly impacts the lives of millions of people, especially those living at the margins. For instance, as per the National Food Security Act, the number of people to be given ration cards is determined on the basis of the latest census. Estimates suggest that more than 10 crore people have been left out of the ambit of the food security net due to the 2021 Census not being conducted. The absence of updated census figures also fuels misinformation and disinformation in society. It is impossible to verify the authenticity of claims made for political gains about the disproportionate increase in population of religious minorities, improvement in sex ratio etc. Covid deaths Even in cases where data has been collected, there have been very serious concerns about its accuracy. A huge controversy engulfed the data on the number of deaths in the country during COVID. While the government reported only five lakh COVID deaths, independent estimates, including from the World Health Organieation (WHO), placed the figure at over 40 lakh. The government recently released the data for the 2021 Civil Registration System after a lag of nearly four years. The data shows that the excess deaths in 2021 alone were around 21 lakh – suggesting that a figure of around 40 lakh COVID related deaths due to the pandemic is entirely plausible. Missing data The NSO's Consumer Expenditure Survey of 2017-18 was junked. The leaked findings of the survey showed that consumer spending fell for the first time in four decades and consumption declined, indicating an increase in poverty. A report by IndiaSpend showed that at the end of 2024, 16 critical datasets were delayed and nine ministries had not released their annual reports. Among the delayed datasets were the 'Crime in India' report, which provides crucial information on crime statistics including figures on cybercrimes, crimes against women and children, and the 'All India Survey on Higher Education'. Both were last published in 2022. Shooting the messenger? Recently, the Union government dissolved the Standing Committee on Statistics headed by Dr Pronab Sen, former Chief Statistician of India. As per reports, members of the committee had repeatedly raised concerns in the meetings over the delay in conducting the Census. The findings of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) showed an increase in the number of women with anaemia and the persistence of open defecation in the country, contrary to claims of the government. In 2023, the director of the institute responsible for preparing the NFHS was removed. The politics of data The Modi government appears to be extremely wary of data. Availability of objective data empowers people to question the government's functioning and query the propaganda and claims made by those in power. Data enables critical citizens' engagement and ensures accountability of those who govern. A government interested primarily in perception management is seldom inclined to put in place an effective data regime. Watch ' India's Data Blackout- From Census to Covid Deaths | Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro ', where Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst joins Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri discuss what's happening to crucial data in the country. Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri are social activists working on issues of transparency and accountability. Sindhu Koshy is a public-spirited communications professional based in Trivandrum. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
View: Apple's India plans have two new threats: Trump and China's Xi
By Mihir Sharma Apple Inc. and its main manufacturing contractor Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. are still betting on India. When Hon Hai — better known as Foxconn — revealed through an exchange filing last week that it was putting another $1.5 billion into its operations there, it will have calmed a few nerves in New Delhi. Worries about the future of Apple in the country had been set off by President Donald Trump , who said last month that he had told the company's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that 'I don't want you building in India.' This seemed to contradict hopes, shared by both Cupertino and New Delhi, that most iPhones for the US market would come from India by the end of 2026. But on the ground, Apple's turn to the South Asian nation seems well-entrenched. Reports have emerged of a new Foxconn campus meant to house 30,000 employees — the largest such effort in India's recent history — and that another contract manufacturer, Tata Electronics , is now assembling the iPhone 16 in its South Indian plant. Yet CEOs and politicians may have begun to realize that the difficulties involved in shifting — or duplicating — an entire manufacturing ecosystem extend beyond placating Trump. This is a complex environment, and there are severe obstacles to moving it out of China. US politics is only one, though perhaps the loudest. Admittedly, Apple has had a lot of success in India already. That's why even Trump's talking about it. In just the last year, the value of its products manufactured there has jumped 60%, to $22 billion. Over $17 billion is exported; thanks to Apple, India's $38 billion of electronics exports now earn more than even its world-famous pharmaceutical sector. No other investment has produced anything near this scale of return. In fact, it may be the only success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pivot to industrial policy in the middle of his decade in power. This rare win happened because Apple and its suppliers were committed to moving production into India, and because both federal and state governments rewrote regulations and permissions to help them make the move. Politicians kept up this support, even when there might be a price to pay. After a border clash between China and India in 2020 that killed 20 of its soldiers, Indian officials restricted investment from Beijing. Those restrictions have slowly softened since then, primarily to ensure that Apple's contractors didn't get caught up in red tape. That experience should have served as a reminder to New Delhi that attracting an entire ecosystem needs three sets of players to cooperate: the companies, the destination market for their products, and the source geography. Apple and Foxconn might be on board; Trump and his tariffs might be managed — but what of China? A recent book by the former Financial Times journalist Patrick McGee argues that Apple in China, and Foxconn in particular, grew because American investors and engineers helped. That's no surprise. Any industrial power trains its competitors and successors. That's what Great Britain did for America centuries ago. The financiers, engineers and suppliers that make up an existing manufacturing ecosystem need to be willing and able to cooperate in creating a new one. They are generally well rewarded for it. Apple's contract manufacturers and component suppliers, large and small, in China might be willing to set up shop in India — after all, profits are profits wherever they are earned. Some of their engineers might be happy to move to supervise new shop floors. But, it turns out, Beijing might not permit that to happen. Many crucial, experienced employees have found themselves forbidden to travel to India and Southeast Asia. Apple and New Delhi have both tried to woo Trump, and make him accept the possibility that iPhones destined for the US will be made in India. But it appears that they may need to woo President Xi Jinping as well. Objectively, India's Apple-led mobile phone ecosystem is nowhere near challenging China's manufacturing dominance. China is, after all, the indispensable country not just for Apple, but for multiple companies struggling to shift production to India, Vietnam and elsewhere. But Beijing now appears to view Apple's India project as a risk — dangerous enough that a few barriers should be erected in its path. Trump, Apple, New Delhi, and Beijing appear agreed on Indian manufacturing's potential over the next few years, whatever the rest of us might think.
