How Imran Khan nurtured Hafiz Saeed's reign of terror in Pakistan

An India Today visual investigation now establishes how the alliance between Pak-based LeT and the Afghan Taliban was nurtured soon after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, by Imran Khan's administration to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

Global headlines emanating from Pakistan suggest that Hafiz Saeed - the United Nations designated global terrorist - has been facing a tough time in Pakistan with recent reported clampdowns on terrorist networks. In reality, the hydra-headed terror network of Saeed has grown by leaps and bounds, under nearly four years of rule of Imran Khan.

Since the fall of Kabul, several intelligence inputs have been hinting at a growing nexus between Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiyaba (LeT) and the Afghan Taliban. An India Today visual investigation now establishes how this alliance was nurtured soon after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, by the erstwhile Imran Khan administration to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

Founded by Saeed, the proscribed terror outfit LeT has been camouflaged under its social front Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD).

Pakistan continues to remain on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), facing constant pressure on Islamabad to take actions against terrorist networks.

Visuals of a gathering organized by Saeed’s outfit in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa soon after the total capture of neighbouring Afghanistan by the Taliban, show top aides of Hafiz Saeed, political leader from Imran Khan’s party, the most known face from Afghan Taliban’s breeding ground Darul-Uloom-Haqqania and a common relative of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Asia Anrabi at one place.

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Organised under the blessings of the establishment, the gathering witnessed a minor boy swearing the name of Hafiz Saeed, who vowed to pick up a Kalashnikov gun like his brothers who tried to infiltrate the borders and killed in Jammu and Kashmir.