Pahalgam Attack: Who controls Lashkar-e-Taiba, how is it related to TRF and how does Pakistani terrorist outfit work?

The Resistance Front hogged the headlines and escalated tension between India and Pakistan by killing 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam. It also brought Lashkar-e-Taiba to the forefront, with the fact that the Pakistan-based terrorist organization raised its outfit in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 360 in 2019. Founded by Hafiz Saeed, Lashkar-e-Taiba has emerged as a fountainhead of anti-India terror campaigns in India and Pakistan. Indian intelligence agencies have prepared a dossier containing the full hierarchy of the LeT. 

Hafiz Saeed

Hafiz Saeed is in the custody of Pakistani authorities under the pressure of the Financial Action Task Force, but he is still in command of the terror outfit he established. Though the Lashkar-e-Taiba Chief has begun transferring the leadership responsibilities to his son, Talha Saeed, he is still in control and calling the shots. 

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi is the Chief of Operations of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The key mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks was arrested following the attacks, but was released on bail in 2015. Pakistan swung to action under the pressure of the FATF 2021, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is responsible for overseeing military operations, managing terrorist training camps, and planning attacks. 

(Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Member, Lashkar-e-Taiba)

Other significant leaders of Lashkar-e-Taiba

Zafar Iqbal: The co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, he has been involved in the group’s ideological and training activities. Media reports suggest a decline in his activity.

Sajid Mir alias Saifullah Sajid Jat is responsible for recruiting new terrorists and international operations. He was the principal mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, he remains absconding, and he is still on the FBI's most-wanted list. 

Mohammad Yahya Mujahid leads the media department of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is the chief spokesperson of the outfit, he manages the organisation's propaganda strategies and public relations.

Arif Qasmani is responsible for establishing links with other terrorist organisations, including Al-Qaeda. He is the coordinator of external contacts.  

Frontal Organisations

Lashkar-e-Taiba has two main frontal organisations. Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is its public face. It operates schools, hospitals, and conducts relief work to develop deep roots in the Pakistani society. Its main objective is to give the terrorist organization a human facade and an opportunity to recruit new terrorists. It has been banned by the US and the UN. 

Outfits like Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), Al Madina, and Aiser Foundation were set up to circumvent sanctions imposed on JuD. These groups continue to carry out their activities previously handled by the JuD.