Country Advice Pakistan Pakistan – PAK38799 – Lashkar e Jhangvi – LeJ/Taliban in Haripur 27 July 2011 1. Please provide information about the village of Gheeba in Haripur. Are there any mountain ranges close to the village? Gheeba village No detailed information was found in relation to Gheeba village in Haripur. The following Google map, however, shows the location of Gheeba and Haripur1: Google Maps also provides the following satellitle image of Gheeba village2: 1 „Gheeba & Haripur‟ (undated), Google Maps website http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s q&hl=en&geocode=&abauth=2e7edeb6:vSwqpWPl7rQ5jv sJxaxSdXmpFH8&q=Gheeba,+Khyber+Pakhtunkhwa,+Pakistan&aq=0&vps=1&ei=hFMNTvXIEKaJm QXWv6X9Dg&jsv=353b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.51141,135.087891&num=10 - Accessed 1 July 2011 - Attachment 1. Page 1 of 13 The following Google Maps satellite image indicates that there are mountains within close proximity to Gheeba village3: 2 „Gheeba‟ (undated), Google Maps website http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s q&hl=en&geocode=&abauth=2e7edeb6:vSwqpWPl7rQ5jv sJxaxSdXmpFH8&q=Gheeba,+Khyber+Pakhtunkhwa,+Pakistan&aq=0&vps=1&ei=hFMNTvXIEKaJm QXWv6X9Dg&jsv=353b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.51141,135.087891&num=10 - Accessed 1 July 2011 - Attachment 2 3 „Gheeba Map‟ (undated), Google Maps http://maps.google.com/ - Accessed 1 July 2011 - Attachment 3 Page 2 of 13 Haripur District Country Advice PAK37286, dated 15 September 2010, provides information on Haripur district. Information contained in the Country Advice report indiates that Haripur is a town and district in Khyber Pakhtunkhw Province, formerly known as the North West Frontier. It is located about 65 kilometres from Islamabad.4 2. Please provide information on when Lashkar e Jhangvi was formed, its aims and how it is organised. Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ) is a Sunni terrorist group which was formed in 1996 by members of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), an extremist Sunni sectarian organisation. The LeJ was banned in Pakistan in August 2001.5 The LeJ is responsible for numerous major attacks and bombings across Pakistan which have particularly targeted Shia religious practitioners as well as Christians, Iranian Nationals, Westerners and Pakistani government officials.6 The LeJ has also been involved in 4 RRT Country Advice Service 2010, Country Advice PAK37286, 15 September - Attachment 4 5 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Terrorism 2009, August, p.264 - Attachment 5; „Lashkar-e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej.htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6 6 „Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)‟ 2009, Australian Government; Australian National Security website, 20 March http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity nsf/Page/What Governments are doing Listing of Terrorism Organisations Lashkar I Jhangvi - Accessed 21 July 2011 - Attachment 7; US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Terrorism 2009, August, p.264 - Attachment 5; „Lashkar- Page 3 of 13 criminal activities such as extortion and bank robberies.7 The LeJ is primarily in Pakistan‟s Punjab region and Karachi.8 The primary aim of the LeJ is to create a Sunni Islamic state in Pakistan and to eradicate other religious groups.9 A 2009 report published on the Australian Government, Australian National Security website states that: LeJ‟s goals are to establish an Islamic Sunni state in Pakistan based on Sharia law, through the use of violence if necessary; to have all Shias declared non-believers; and to eliminate followers of other faiths, especially Jews, Christians, and Hindus.10 Reports indicate that the LeJ has a decentralised structure which is largely composed of small independent cells.11 According to the abovementioned Australian National Security website the LeJ “maintains a multi-cellular structure, made up of loosely co-ordinated regional sub-units, further divided into several small cells of five to eight members each that operate independently of one another.12 The South Asian Terrorism Portal provides the following overview of the LeJ structure: The success of most of its terrorist operations is attributed to its multi-cellular structure, whereby the outfit is divided into small groups that are not in constant contact with each other. …Individual LeJ cadres are reportedly unaware of the number of cells in existence similar to their own or the structure of operations. After carrying out an attack LeJ e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6; „PAKISTAN: A guide to main militant groups‟ 2010, IRIN News, 13 October http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=90760 – Accessed 14 October 2010 - Attachment 8 7„Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)‟ 2009, Australian Government; Australian National Security website, 20 March http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity nsf/Page/What Governments are doing Listing of Terrorism Organisations Lashkar I Jhangvi - Accessed 21 July 2011 - Attachment 7; „Lashkar-e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej.htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6 8US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Terrorism 2009, August, p.264 - Attachment 5 ; Human Rights Commission of Pakistan 2011, Annual Report 2010, April, p.173 – Attachment 9 9„Lashkar-e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6; „Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)‟ 2009, Australian Government; Australian National Security website, 20 March http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity nsf/Page/What Governments are doing Listing of Terrorism Organisations Lashkar I Jhangvi - Accessed 21 July 2011 - Attachment 7 10 „Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)‟ 2009, Australian Government; Australian National Security website, 20 March http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity.nsf/Page/What Governments are doing Listing of Terrorism Organisations Lashkar I Jhangvi - Accessed 21 July 2011 - Attachment 7 11 „Lashkar-e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6 12„Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ)‟ 2009, Australian Government; Australian National Security website, 20 March http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/agd/WWW/nationalsecurity nsf/Page/What Governments are doing Listing of Terrorism Organisations Lashkar I Jhangvi - Accessed 21 July 2011 - Attachment 7 Page 4 of 13 cadres often disperse and then reassemble at the various training camps to plan future operations.13 The 2010 Annual Report of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan states that “Interior Minister Rehman Malik was quoted as saying that the LJ and the SSP were united under the banner of the Punjabi Taliban, with the southern districts of Punjab as their hub.”14 In March 2009 International Crisis Group (ICG) also reported that the SSP and LeJ are providing weapons, recruits, finances and other resources to Pakistani Taliban groups. The ICG report further states that “the SSP and LJ are also al-Qaeda‟s principal allies in the region”.15 A 2010 report by the US Congressional Research Service similarly states that the LeJ is “closely associated with Al Qaeda.”16 Contrasting information was found in relation the size of the LeJ. According to the 2010 Annual Report of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Rehman Malik, the Pakistan Interior Minister stated that 726 “workers” of the LeJ and SSP were present in southern Punjab.17 However, the US Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2009 states that the LeJ has “probably fewer than 100” members.18 The South Asia Terrorism Portal has provided further differing information stating that “Pakistani reports indicate that the active cadre strength of the LeJ is approximately 300.” According to the report “most of these cadres are either under arrest in Pakistan or were based in the various training camps in Afghanistan, from where they regularly came to Pakistan to carry out terrorist activities.” The Australian Government, Australian National Security website reports that funding for the LeJ is derived from supporters in Karachi, sources in Saudi Arabia and from its engagement in criminal activities such as protection rackets and extortion. The report also states that the LeJ can rely on the assistance from other Pakistan terrorist groups and the Afghan Taliban.19 Recent reports indicate LeJ‟s continued involvement in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. In June 2011, Abrar Hussain, a former Olympian and Deputy Director of the Pakistan Sports Board was murdered in Quetta. LeJ claimed responsibility 13 „Lashkar-e-Jhangvi‟ (undated), South Asian Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/lej.htm – Accessed 23 May 2011 – Attachment 6 14 Human Rights Commission of Pakistan 2011, Annual Report 2010, April, p.173 – Attachment 9 15International Crisis Group 2009, Pakistan: The Militant Jihadi Challenge, 13 March, pi & 27 - Attachment 10 16 Kronstadt, K.A. 2010, Pakistan: Key Current Issues and Developments, Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, 1 June, p.13 - Attachment 11 17 Human Rights Commission of Pakistan 2011, Annual Report 2010, April, p.173 – Attachment 9 18 US Department of State 2010, Country Reports on Terrorism 2009, August, p.264 - Attachment