Profile of Malik ishaq – operational chief of LEJ – a close accomplice of PML N: those who think the politicians will take head-on the terrorists, after the APC meeting, should read this, and then decide what options the nation is left with now, other than supporting the Military takeover. On the morning of Aug. 30, 2012, the freshly-released cleric arrived at a packed-to-capacity mosque in the Bhakkar district of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and important province. Flanked by 15 weapon-wielding guards, he alighted from a double-cabin vehicle and proceeded towards the stage. What followed was a blistering, 45-minute monologue. Ishaq claimed that during his incarceration the Pakistani authorities had pleaded with him, repeatedly offering him a ‘get out of jail’ card. “They told me, stop speaking against them [Shiites] and we will free you,” he blustered, adding that: “I told them, I would rather die!” The ebullient crowd roared, punctuating his words with cries of “Shia Kafir [Shias Infidel],” and hurled a repertoire of abuses at the late leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (Iran is a predominantly Shiite country). On his way out, Ishaq vowed to rescue his 42 comrades who then were on death row. In 2013, at the same mosque, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi chief addressed a crowd of 1,000. The gathering was monitored by a handful of policemen in civil clothes. on Feb. 6, 2014, the United States catapulted him onto the world stage, adding his name to their list of most wanted global terrorists. In 2009, the extremist was flown on a special chartered flight from his cell in Lahore to the garrison town of Rawalpindi to holds talks with gunmen holed up inside the army’s general headquarters. One of the armed assailants had named Ishaq as the mastermind behind the assault. But will he ever be convicted? It will be difficult, noting that just to produce him in a court is a major task. There are cases registered against him in several cities across Punjab. He can’t be moved around daily. A lot of security is needed, and the courts refuse to proceed until he is present. But that is only part of the story. Potential witnesses are routinely bullied and intimidated to back out. During one particular hearing, the judge attempted to conceal his identity by burying his face in his hands, according to one media report. Ishaq accosted the frightened arbitrator, mockingly reciting the name of the judge’s children. The judge quickly abandoned the case.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 21:25:32 +0000
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