New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) The Lashkar-e-Taiba is aggressively pushing its political agenda into Pakistan’s politics. The idea is to be part of the mainstream so that this acts as a cover for the terror-related activities it undertakes.
The plunge into the political ecosystem was taken quite a few years ago. It began with the now-banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and now the party that is being run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba is called the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML).
There has been talk about finding a replacement for Hafiz Saeed. His age and the losses incurred by the outfit during Operation Sindoor have put the founder on the back foot. The Lashkar-e-Taiba has been desperate to find a replacement for Saeed and has been on the lookout for the same for the last year.
An official said Talha Saeed, the son of Hafiz Saeed, is the natural choice. Many favour him to lead the outfit after his father, and while the cadre connect with him on many aspects, the ideological factor in him is missing.
Saeed is strong both on the ideological and operational front. Saeed handles operations, but he is yet to command the respect that his father does, the official said.
Around ten days ago, the Lashkar-e-Taiba leadership took an important decision with regard to the leadership of the outfit. It unanimously agreed that Hafiz Saeed would continue to be the chief. It also decided that Talha would be in charge of operations and would be in the number 2 position.
The meeting, however, acknowledged that Hafiz Saeed cannot go on forever and that Talha would soon have to take over the mantle. For Talha to fit the role of his father, he would need to focus a lot on the ideological aspect. Currently, he is on an outreach programme using his political platform, the PMML, to achieve the same, an official said.
In the last week, Talha Saeed has made many public appearances. During his speeches, he has highlighted the need for Pakistan to remain united to fight against India. During a November 8 rally, he not only tried to project himself as his father’s successor, but also added that the PMML would carry forward the legacy of the Muslim League that heralded the campaign for a separate Pakistan carved out of India.
Talha Saeed’s stressed remaining united during the rally. He cited the Muslim League and said that it was time to transform the divided landscape of Pakistan into a united national movement. He said a unified Pakistan is the best bet when it comes to beating India.
Another official said that if one goes through Talha Saeed’s speech, he is trying to hit two birds with one stone. On the one hand, he wants to drive across the message that he is as mature or exactly like his father, and on the other, he is trying to create a political space for the PMML so that it acts as a shield against the activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the official said.
His references to Pakistan being the protector of the Muslim Umma are indicators of his intentions. He called on the Pakistanis to unite and said that this is important to protect the Muslim world. He also said that Pakistan is the protector of Mecca and Medina.
Officials say is a lot that is going on within Lashkar-e-Taiba. While the cadre are aware that Talha Saeed is the de facto heir, there is still some reluctance in accepting him as the one who would replace Saeed.
Talha has a lot of hard work to do. Not only does he have to prove a point that he can also LeT’s ideological head, but will also have to ensure that the PMML makes a mark in Pakistan. The PMML’s success is very important if the Lashkar-e-Taiba has to mask its terror-related operations against India.
Counterterrorism experts warn that the PMML has been gaining ground in Pakistan. In the National Assembly seat of Gujranwala, which was held due to the death of PML-N lawmaker Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk, the PMML finished second.
The PML-N’s Rashid Bashir Virk polled 43,365 votes and finished with a vote share of 58.9 per cent. The PMML’s Muhammad Ibrahim finished second with a vote share of 41.1 per cent and 30,218 votes.
The PMML may have benefited from the absence of the PTI and Pakistan Peoples Party, but its performance has been hailed as impressive.
The Indian agencies are watching these developments closely. There are signals of a major shift by Lashkar-e-Taiba using its political front, which has a decent amount of following. The growth of the PMML would directly help LeT to boost its operations, which, in the long run, is counterproductive for India’s national security, an official said.
–IANS
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