LeT co-founder shot at in Lahore
Amir Hamza, the co-founder of banned Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and its second-most important leader after Hafiz Saeed, was injured in a targeted shooting incident on Thursday evening near a Pindi shop in Lahore, Pakistan.
Unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a white car carrying Hamza and a retired judge, Nazir Ahmed Ghazi, who hosts a religious programme on a private TV channel. Hamza was rushed to a nearby hospital and is said to be undergoing treatment.
Interestingly, in May last year, Hamza suffered serious injuries in an attack carried out by a LeT operative holding personal grudge against him.
According to Lahore police, two armed men fired at the vehicle near Peco Road on Thursday, close to the office of 24NewsHD TV channel, which is owned by Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Hamza sustained bullet injuries to his arm while Justice (Retd) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi remained unhurt. Lahore Police have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage to identify the attackers. Authorities have not yet revealed whether the attack was linked to internal rivalries, personal enmity, or larger intra-feuds among Lashkar cadres.
According to available information, the TV channel confirmed the incident in a statement on X. Ghazi had just finished recording his show ‘Noor-e-Sehar’ and was heading home when the attack occurred. Hamza, who had appeared as a guest on the programme, was travelling with him.
The channel identified Hamza as Maulana Amir Hamza, chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool Pakistan (THRP).
Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), the political wing of Hafiz Saeed’s banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), strongly condemned the attack. In a joint statement, PMML leaders, including Hafiz Talha Saeed, questioned the Punjab government’s security apparatus. PMML demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and better protection to religious scholars.
Hamza has long been a key figure in LeT’s operations and previously headed the outfit’s ‘Special Campaigns Department’ and was designated a terrorist by the United States. In 2018, after the Pakistani government banned JuD and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, Hamza set up a new fundraising network to support Lashkar’s activities.
It may be noted that Hafiz Saeed, LeT’s founder, has been lodged in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after being convicted in multiple terror-financing cases. Hamza’s proximity to Saeed and his continued influence within LeT-linked circles had made him a person of interest to Indian security agencies.
No group, however, has claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack so far.
