Lashkar-e-Taiba, also known as LeT, is one of the most dangerous and well-known terrorist groups in South Asia. It was created in 1986 in Pakistan. The name “Lashkar-e-Taiba” means “Army of the Pure” in Urdu. It follows an extreme form of Islamic ideology known as Salafism, and its goal is to establish a global Islamic rule or caliphate.

LeT was originally formed as the armed wing of an Islamic preaching group called Markaz Dawat-ul-Irshad. This happened during a time when Pakistan's then military ruler, General Zia-ul-Haq, was pushing a national policy of “Islamisation.” Zia wanted Pakistan to become a strong Islamic state and also a global centre for Islamic politics.

One of LeT’s most deadly attacks was in 2008 in Mumbai, India. In that attack, 166 people were killed, including many foreigners. It shocked the world and brought major attention to this group. The terrorists targeted hotels, a train station, and even a Jewish centre, which showed that their anger was not only against India but also against Jews and the West.

The group was founded with the idea of spreading Islam through two main methods: preaching and armed struggle (jihad). It believes in taking back all the lands that were once under Muslim control, including Kashmir and other parts of India. But its aim is not just limited to Kashmir. LeT wants to break up India completely and sees Hindus, Jews, and Christians as enemies.

The United Nations says LeT has been involved in many terrorist attacks since 1993, including bombings, train attacks, and shootings. Their operations are mainly focused in the Kashmir region, which is disputed between India and Pakistan. But they also have a wider hatred toward India and Western countries.

LeT's leader, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, was arrested in 2019 in Pakistan. He was later sentenced to 31 years in prison for financing terrorism. However, experts say that even though Pakistan has jailed him, the group is still allowed to operate in other ways under different names.

How is Lashkar-e-Taiba connected to Pakistan?

This is a very sensitive and complicated issue. Many experts believe that LeT has had a close relationship with Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), for many years. Although the Pakistani government officially denies this, there is evidence suggesting that Pakistan helped LeT in the past, especially during the 1980s and 1990s.

Back then, Pakistan used groups like LeT to fight in Kashmir and Afghanistan. For example, during the war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, Pakistan supported many Islamic fighters. LeT’s goals matched what Pakistan wanted: to push Indian influence out of Kashmir and to control Afghanistan.

A 2012 report by international security expert Ashley Tellis said, “LeT became a favoured ward of the Pakistani state because its local interests – fighting in Afghanistan and warring against India – dovetailed with the Pakistan army’s own ambitions.” In simple words, both LeT and Pakistan had the same goals, so Pakistan supported LeT with money and training.

Although Pakistan has banned LeT many times, it still allows groups that are actually part of LeT to operate. One such group is Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which claims to be a charity. In reality, experts say it is just another name for LeT. Even the Australian government said that JuD was created just before LeT was banned in 2002 and that both groups are the same.

In 2018, ten years after the Mumbai attack, security expert Stephen Tankel said, “Pakistan makes a cosmetic distinction between Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, but the United States and the United Nations consider them to be the same organisation.”

Another example is David Headley, a US-Pakistani terrorist who helped plan the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He later told officials that he worked closely with Pakistani intelligence officers. This has made people wonder whether the Pakistani government knew more about the attack than it admits.

Even though Pakistan strongly denies India's accusations, its actions—like allowing LeT-linked groups to run openly—make the international community question its seriousness in fighting terrorism.

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