US designates two top LeT leaders as ‘global terrorists’

The U.S. has designated Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s two top leaders as “global terrorists” and slapped sanctions on the terror group’s student wing, tightening the noose around the outfit that carried out the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The US Treasury Department designated Muhammad Sarwar and Shahid Mahmood as global terrorists. Both the LeT leaders are based in Pakistan.

Al-Muhammadia Students, the student wing of the LeT, works with senior leaders of the organisation to recruit people and organise activities for the youth, was designated a terror organistion by the US State Department.

“To that effect, Al-Muhammadia Students (AMS) is the student wing of LeT,” the State Department said.

LeT was designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States in December 2001.

Since the original designation occurred, LeT has repeatedly changed its name and created front organisations in an effort to avoid sanctions, said the State Department.

“These two Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders are responsible for raising and moving funds to support the terrorist group’s operations,” said John E Smith, Acting Director Office of Foreign Assets Control.

“Today’s action not only aims to expose their activities, but also disrupts Lashkar-e-Taiba’s financial network and ability to carry out violent terrorist attacks,” he added.

Treasury said Sarwar has been a senior LeT official in Lahore for over 10 years and has held various leadership roles in the group, including his current position as LeT’s emir for Lahore, a position he has held since at least January 2015.

As the LeT emir of Lahore, Sarwar maintains relationships with LeT’s most senior leaders. Between 2012 and 2013, Sarwar worked with LeT’s foreign affairs chief Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, and in early 2013, Makki asked Sarwar for money to pay for his travel within Pakistan, it added.

In his capacity as LeT Lahore emir, Sarwar has been directly involved in LeT fund raising activities and uses the formal financial system in Pakistan to raise and move funds on behalf of LeT, the Treasury said.

 

SOURCE: PTI