5 Pakistani terror groups banned by US

Islamabad: Recently, a legislation was introduced in the US Congress by two lawmakers aimed at designating Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. For a while now, India and Afghanistan has been accusing their neighbour of supporting terrorist organisations. The United States of America has designated few Pakistan-based groups as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, out of which some are also active in India, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.

Here are 5 groups from Pakistan designated as terror organisations by US:

1. Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM)

Formed in 1985, the HuM initially fought against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. After 1989, when the soviet forces withdrew, the HuM terrorists shifted their focus and created disturbances in the Kashmir valley of J&K. The Harkat ul-Mujahideen (HuM) is also said to be behind the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC814 in 1999. This organisation was banned by the United States of America on 8th October 1997.

2. Jaish -e- Mohammed (JeM)

This extremist Islamic group based in Pakistan was formed in early 2000s. Its hand was found in many terror activities in J&K. The United States of America banned the Jaish on 26th December 2001, soon after it attacked the Indian Parliament.

The Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl was also abducted by JeM members in Karachi, Pakistan, making international news. He was beheaded several weeks after his abduction in 2002. Jaish is also suspected of being responsible for attacking the Pathankot airbase in January 2016.

3. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)

Formed in 1990s, this is one of the oldest terrorist organisation functioning in the Indian sub-continent. The LeT was behind many attacks on Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. On 5th January 1996, this terrorist front gained notoriety for the first of many massacres targeting minorities in Kashmir, killing 16 Hindus in Barshalla, Doda . The most notable massacre, known as the Chattisinghpora attack, took place on 20th March, 2000, when LeT terrorists killed 35 Sikhs in Anantnag on the eve of then US President Bill Clinton’s official state visit to India. This group was banned by the US on 26 December 2001.

4. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi

The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is a Sunni militant organisation based in Pakistan. It has claimed responsibility for various mass casualty attacks against the Shia community in Pakistan,including multiple bombings that killed over 200 Hazara Shias in Quetta in 2013 and the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.

The Government of Pakistan designated the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi a terrorist organization in August 2001 and the United States classified it as a foreign terrorist Organization under US law on 30th January 2003.

5. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is a terrorist group which is an umbrella organization of various Sunni Islamist militant groups based in the northwestern federally administered tribal areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. The group initially focused its attacks on Pakistani and American installations in Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to implement sharia.

The group is said to be behind the assassination of former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto. Most recently, the TTP has claimed responsibility for the 2014 Peshawar school attack, which claimed 141 lives. Apart from it, the group was also behind the attack on Bacha Khan University, which recorded nearly 30 casualties.