Latest news with #SaifullahKasuri
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
LeT, Jaish Tap Bangladesh Radical Networks, Use Campuses To Target Indian Students
Last Updated: Top intelligence sources reveal Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed have joined hands with radical groups in Bangladesh, opening a new front to radicalise Indian youth, CNN-News18 has learnt from top intelligence sources. A recent speech by Saifullah Kasuri, aka Khalid, in Kasur, Lahore, which has gone viral and is now circulating among radical groups, referenced Bengal and the division of the region on May 28. The speech is being actively used in radical circles to fuel propaganda. Bangladesh-based groups are now providing legitimate access to LeT and Jaish in universities, where they target Indian students for radicalisation. These India-based groups are also collaborating with Jamaat-e-Islami, creating a cross-border ideological network. LeT's exploitation of Bangladeshi universities is built on three key pillars: ideological alignment with local radicals, institutional decay, and cross-border impunity. Backed by ISI, LeT operates through multi-layered strategies combining ideological networks, institutional vulnerabilities, and cross-border operational logistics. LeT coordinates with Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir to infiltrate campuses. Shibir grants access to student networks, hostels, and Islamic study circles, which are then used for recruitment. Following the restoration of Jamaat-e-Islami's legitimacy post-2024, this access has become more streamlined. Groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both linked to LeT, operate madrasas near universities. These madrasas indoctrinate students with Wahhabi-Salafi ideologies, framing education as jihad for Islamic revival. UK-based front organisations have also funded radical madrasas that later recruit university students. Shibir members invite Indian students into Islamic study circles, blending religious discussions with LeT propaganda videos. Events at the University of Dhaka have glorified Kashmir terrorists killed as martyrs. LeT's attack footage from India is shared through encrypted apps such as Telegram and Signal, with videos from incidents like the Pahalgam attacks being circulated to incite anti-India sentiments. Radical groups offer scholarships, flood relief, and financial aid to economically vulnerable Indian students. Following the 2024 floods, Jamaat distributed aid along with radical literature. Senior student 'mentors" isolate Indian youth, presenting radicalisation as identity preservation, while enforcing conservative dress codes such as beards and veils to build group loyalty. LeT is also using Bangladesh as a transit hub. Indian students radicalised in Dhaka or Chittagong are sent to LeT camps in Pakistan via Myanmar or Nepal, often under the guise of educational tours. They portray India as oppressing Muslims, leveraging events like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and incidents of communal violence, such as the 2023 temple vandalism to validate jihadist narratives. The post-2024 interim government in Bangladesh lifted bans on Jamaat-e-Islami and allied groups, appointing radicals to key positions, including the Hizb-ut-Tahrir founder as Home Secretary. This has enabled LeT affiliates like Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) to operate openly on campuses. Government concessions to Hefazat-e-Islam, such as compulsory Islamic education, allow madrasas to teach jihadist ideologies unchallenged. Universities have also adopted gender-segregated curricula, normalising extremist norms. Bangladesh's lax NGO oversight, coupled with hundi remittances and money laundering—both significant contributors to its GDP—allow LeT to mask funding as charitable donations. LeT receives funds via NGOs from the Middle East, Gulf, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, under the pretext of reviving Islamic heritage and campus charities. Radicalised students returning to India are deployed as operatives. HuJI-B, JMB, and LeT proxies maintain around 40 sleeper cells in Assam and Nagaland, using Bangladesh-trained Indians to carry out attacks. LeT has also utilised Bangladeshi routes for India-bound operations. The 2025 Pahalgam attack involved a LeT operative who had met a Bangladeshi official prior to the operation. Anti-minority violence in Bangladesh — where nearly 2,200 Hindu-targeted incidents were reported in 2024 — spills over into India, intensifying Hindu-Muslim tensions and aiding in jihadist recruitment.
India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
Did Hafiz Saeed plan Sheikh Hasina's removal from power in Bangladesh? Dreaded terrorist makes shocking claims, says, we have avenged...
New Delhi: In a major revelation, some leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) have claimed that the organisation played a role in the massive anti-government protests in Bangladesh last year, which led to the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is the banned organization led by Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. JuD leader Saifullah Kasuri and UN-designated terrorist Mujammil Hashmi made these claims during inflammatory speeches earlier this week. 'I was four years old when Pakistan was divided in 1971. At that time, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had declared that she had drowned the two-nation theory in the Bay of Bengal. On May 10, I… we have avenged 1971,' Saifullah Kasuri said while addressing his supporters in Allahabad, located about 400 kilometers from Lahore. Indian Strikes Killed Many Terrorists While addressing the people, Kasuri admitted that the body of one of his associates, Mudassir, was blown to pieces in an Indian airstrike on May 7 at Muridke (the JuD/LeT headquarters). Kasuri said, 'I was not granted permission to attend his funeral. I cried a lot on the day of his funeral.' It is important to note that he did not clarify who had stopped him from attending Mudassir's funeral. On the other hand, senior military, police, and administrative officials from Pakistan's Punjab province were among those who attended the funerals of Mudassir and two other JuD members, and photos of the event have surfaced. Spewing Venom on Jihad Kasuri said, 'When the Pahalgam incident happened, I was meeting people in my area. India made me the mastermind of this attack. India made my city, Kasur, famous across the world.' He added, 'We are preparing the next generation for jihad… we are not afraid of death.' Hashmi, in a speech delivered a few days ago in Gujranwala, around 80 kilometers from Lahore, mentioned the Indian leadership and claimed, 'We defeated you in Bangladesh last year…'
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
It's a legit terror nexus: How terrorists draw crowds in Pakistan by spewing anti-India hate
Pakistan claims to be a victim of terrorism. But the ground reality proves otherwise. Time after time, terrorists have addressed rallies, spewing anti-India rhetoric, all in the presence of government officials. One such instance took place on Wednesday (May 28), when Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, and alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, Saifullah Kasuri, addressed an event in the presence of ministers read more In most countries, sport stars, celebrities, influencers and politicians attract huge crowds at rallies and appearances. But not in Pakistan. In the neighbouring country, a different type of individual is a crowd puller — the terrorist belonging to groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba or the Jaish-e-Mohammed. Many would point out that these terrorists holding rallies out in the open, with government officials often in the crowds, is a reflection of the nation's duplicity and a clear sign of its terror nexus. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In fact, there are multiple instances when terrorists have held rallies in Pakistan — the latest example surfacing on Wednesday (May 28) when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah Kasuri addressed the crowds in the presence of Pakistan's Food Minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. LeT commander and Pahalgam attacker's massive rally On Wednesday, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Saifullah Kasuri , who is the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 Indians, mostly civilians, lost their lives, appeared at a rally, sharing the sharing with Pakistani political leaders and other wanted terrorists. Speaking at the event in Kasoor in Punjab province, Kasuri brazenly said, 'I was blamed as being the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, now my name is famous in the entire world.' He also announced plans to build a centre, road, and hospital in Allahabad in the name of 'Mudassir Shaheed.' Mudassir was reportedly one of several high-profile terrorists killed in May 7 strikes by the Indian Air Force on nine terror sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He further stated that he wasn't afraid of bullets, a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier speech. 'Narendra Modi samajhta hai hum goliyon se darne wale hain? Ye uski bhool hai (Modi is mistaken if he thinks we are scared of bullets).' Incidentally, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, of which Kasuri is a member, has been added to a United Nations sanctions list since 2005. Also, it has been deemed a terrorist organisation by the US since 2001. What is even more shocking that a terrorist holding a rally was the presence of Pakistani security forces as well as government officials. As per an India Today report, Pakistan's Food Minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan were both present in the crowd while Kasuri continued to make anti-India comments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In fact, the ministers personally welcomed the Kasuri to the stage and embracing him. The India Today report further stated that Minister Malik Rasheed openly declared that '24 crore Pakistanis are today represented by men like Hafiz Saeed and Saifullah Kasuri.' Saifullah Kasuri, alias Khalid, of the Lashkar-e-Taiba at a rally on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: Facebook Along with Kasuri, the rally on Wednesday also saw UN-proscribed terrorist Talha Saeed – son of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. In 2022, India had designated him as an individual terrorist under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). In fact, he is ranked 32nd on India's most wanted terrorist list today. Almost 50-years-old, Talha is a senior leader of the LeT and is the head of the cleric wing of the banned outfit. India has found that he is actively involved in recruitment, fund collection, planning and executing attacks by LeT in India and Indian interests in Afghanistan. In the Wednesday rally, he is heard saying, 'Today there is a message for India from Pakistan. We have won 'Operation Bunyan al-Marsus' and God should accept our presence here. I'm thankful to Malik Ahmad Khan, speaker of Punjab Assembly, Malik Rashid Khan and Saifullah Khalid for their presence here on stage. I also salute the people of Pakistan on behalf of my father Hafiz Saeed. I am here to tell you God loves those who do jihad.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Talha also deemed the Pahalgam terror attack as 'drama', adding that his father was under the peaceful protection of the state, exposing Pakistan's terrorism scam. Talha has also appeared at other rallies in Pakistan in the past. Earlier in February, he delivered a provocative speech at a rally in Lahore on Pakistan's so-called 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', vowing to 'liberate Kashmir from India at any cost'. In that same address, he called Prime Minister Modi a 'shaitan' (devil), adding: 'I want to warn PM Modi that Kashmir belongs to Muslims, and we will take Kashmir from you. It will be a part of Pakistan Muslim India soon.' Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, addressing a crowd in Pakistan. File image/Reuters Hafiz Saeed's anti-India outbursts But before Kasuri and Talha Saeed's rally, Pakistan's double-face on terror has been exposed when 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed has been permitted to take the stage and rant against India. Over the years, in 2018 and 2019, Hafiz Saeed has held multiple rallies, urging his followers to stand up against India's alleged 'crackdown on Kashmiris'. He has also been seen sharing public space with Pakistani ministers; for instance, in September 2018, Pakistan's Religious Affairs and Interfaith Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri shared a platform with Saeed, and in December of the same year, Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi had openly expressed support of his government to Hafiz Saeed and his terror outfit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If that's not enough in September 2013, the terrorist, who carries a US bounty of $10 million, appeared openly at a rally in Islamabad, denouncing India as a terrorist state. Speaking to over 10,000 people, he was quoted as saying, ''The United States and India are very angry with us. This means God is happy with us.' 'We are ready for every sacrifice for the liberation of Kashmir,' he added in the speech. Jaish-e-Mohammed's Masood Azhar surrounded by armed guards and Pakistan police. File image/Reuters JeM's Masood Azhar calls for jihad against India In February 2014, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar , the man behind the 2001 Parliament attack in India, also spewed venom against the country in a rally in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir capital Muzaffarabad. According to multiple reports, the rally saw thousands of his supporters in attendance, who were bussed to the venue. When India raised the issue with Islamabad, the Foreign Office sought to play down his appearance as a 'one time event'. Following Azhar's appearance, intelligence agencies sounded an alarm, stating that it 'does not seem accidental'. They described the phenomenon as a 'disturbing development' for the world community and Pakistan's national security. With inputs from agencies
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
As India exposes Pakistan globally, its ministers seen sharing stage with Lashkar terrorists
Despite Pakistan's repeated denial of any links to terrorism or of sheltering terrorists, a recent event in Punjab province on May 29 told a different story. Several Pakistani ministers were seen sharing the stage with individuals listed among the world's most wanted terrorists. The public event in Kasur in Pakistan's Punjab, organised by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), was held to mark Youm-e-Takbeer. Close aides of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, food minister Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, were purportedly seen sitting beside Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders Saifullah Kasuri, Talha Saeed, who is the son of Hafiz Saeed, and Amir Hamza. The speeches at the gathering saw designated terrorists and ministers spewing hate at India, including the mention of the Pahalgam attack by Kasuri. The Pakistani ministers were seen greeting and welcoming the extremists onto the stage and interacting with them at the Kasur event. According to an India Today report, Pakistan minister Malik Rasheed publicly equated terror figures with national identity, stating that in today's time, Pakistanis are represented by the likes of Hafiz Saeed and Saifullah Kasuri. Rasheed even announced that the Shehbaz Sharif-Pakistan government would offer a job to Lashkar commander Mudasir's brother after the LeT militant was killed in India's airstrike on the terror outfit's headquarters in Muridke. Saifullah Kasuri, believed to have coordinated the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 persons, surprisingly appeared at this PMML rally. The Indian government attributed the Pahalgam terror attack to LeT's proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF). The LeT commander did not only purportedly raise anti-India slogans but also hailed terrorists killed during India's Operation Sindoor as "martyrs". At the rally, Kasuri is heard saying, "India labelled me the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack while I was busy taking part in events and people's happiness took the name 'Kasur', 'Kasuri', so many times that now the entire world knows me as famous." couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the videos. Kasuri was reportedly believed to have been given shelter by the Pakistani spy agency ISI in Bahawalpur. Amir Hamza, a US-designated terrorist and co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, was also present at the rally in Kasur. He delivered anti-India speeches and raised slogans at the event. Pakistani journalist Taha Siddiqui shared a video of Hamza on X, where he is heard saying, "Kashmir will become Pakistan, Jammu will become Pakistan, Indian Punjab will become Khalistan." These collaborative appearances between Pakistan's ministers and extremists only cement the global belief of the growing nexus between ISI and terror organisations. Meanwhile, PMML organised rallies in Karachi and Rawalpindi as well, to witness the Youm-e-Takbeer day. Terrorists were seen openly gathering in Kasur, carrying holders and billboards of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Hafiz Saeed. PMML organised another rally in Gujranwala to mark the anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear test on May 28, wherein LeT commander and US-designated terrorist Muzammil Hashmi sent a message to "his enemy". "Listen carefully, you threaten us with your bullets. Modi, we are giving you a message that when our children did not get afraid of your missiles, how will we fear your bullets," Hashmi was purportedly heard saying at the event. He further said that neither could India's elders make us afraid, nor can you (Modi). Hashmi said that Pakistan is a country that never forgives its enemies. Pakistan has repeatedly denied sheltering terror outfits and terrorists while blaming India for accusing it of encouraging cross-border terrorism. These purported photos and videos of the militants with Islamabad's politicians are proof enough to indicate the growing nexus between them. India's all-party delegations have been visiting the nation's international partner countries over the past week, briefing them about New Delhi's stance on terrorism against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. From the Shashi Tharoor-led delegation to that led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha, the teams, with members cutting across party lines, have exposed Pakistan and its links to terror outfits. Recently in Panama, the Tharoor-led delegation met with the country's President and foreign minister, and showed them pictures of Pakistani Army officials at the funeral of UN-designated terrorists who were killed during Operation Sindoor. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of the delegation led by BJP leader Baijayant Panda, on Thursday said that there is clear evidence of Pakistan's involvement with terrorism. Exposing Islamabad, Owaisi pointed out the promotion of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir as Field Marshal and how a US-designated terrorist was seen sitting beside him at a celebratory event. Similary, all 7 delegations have been exposing Pakistan's links with terror outfits and terrorists.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack mastermind, LeT commander Saifullah Kasuri seen at Lahore rally
Saifullah Kasuri, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and the alleged mastermind behind the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has reportedly been seen in Lahore, Pakistan, according to India Today. Kasuri was spotted participating in an anti-India rally organized by the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML). Also present at the event was Talha Saeed, son of LeT founder and UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed, the report claimed. Kasuri is believed to have played a key role in planning the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which the Indian government has linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), a known offshoot of LeT. Videos circulating online allegedly show Kasuri chanting anti-India and jihadist slogans during the rally in Lahore. In the footage, he is also heard referring to terrorists killed in India's Operation Sindoor as 'martyrs.' 'I was accused of masterminding the Pahalgam attack. Now, my name is known across the world,' Kasuri reportedly said during his speech at the rally in Pakistan's Punjab province.
