Official letter says LeJ working in cooperation with TTP, attacking Shias to pressurise govt into halting terrorists’ executions
The government has said that the outlawed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has an affiliation with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and may possibly hold common citizens hostage in an attempt to free their imprisoned colleagues, a BBC report said quoting a government letter.
The Ministry of Interior said in a letter sent to all provinces in the country that the banned organisation sought help from al Qaeda but upon refusal LeJ formed a nexus with TTP.
The Interior Ministry also said that a man named Abdul Rehman from Kabirwala, Punjab, is in charge of monitoring LeJ activities in Punjab and has planned various attacks in Lahore and other areas. The letter also mentioned that following a crackdown by security forces and law enforcement agencies against the organisation, the workers had sought help from al Qaeda. However, Al Qaeda refused to help LeJ due to its engagement in Iraq and Syria.
The Interior Ministry said that after al Qaeda’s refusal, TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah contacted the organisation. He not only provided financial support to LeJ but also promised to lend more support to the banned outfit.
The official document also states that the purpose of targeting Shias in the country is to pressurise the government to halt executions of convicts belonging to terrorist organisations.
According to the government, the recent rise in violence in the country is the result of the affiliation between LeJ and TTP. However, the responsibility of an attack on a Shia mosque in Peshawar was accepted by TTP and they had released the video of the attackers.
Government recently lifted the moratorium on death penalty in the country after the gruesome Taliban attack on Peshawar’s Army Public school in December last year, which left more than 150 people dead including more than 130 children.
So far 22 terrorists have been executed, including a number of LJ workers. Last month, after the execution of two LeJ workers, there was a cracker bomb attack outside two private schools in Karachi. The police also found pamphlets that warned of more attacks if executions are not stopped.
