NEW DELHI: In a significant development, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday officially confirmed the death of Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, a founding member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the suspected planner of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi, founding member of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and deputy to Hafiz Saeed is ‘Confirmed Deceased’ pic.twitter.com/wFLKZAnOhw
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2024

Death Due To Cardiac Arrest

Bhuttavi, who served as the deputy to Hafiz Saeed, succumbed to a cardiac arrest in May 2023 while in the custody of the Pakistan government in the Punjab province. His death marks the end of an era for one of the key perpetrators of the infamous 2008 attacks.

A UN Designated Terrorist

The UNSC had designated Bhuttavi as a terrorist due to his extensive involvement in financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating acts for LeT. According to a summary by the UN committee, he was not only a founding member of LeT but also assumed the role of the acting emir of both LeT and JuD during Hafiz Saeed’s detentions.

Background And Involvement In Terrorism

Born in August 1946 in Pattoki, Kasur district of Punjab, Bhuttavi played a pivotal role as the head of 150 JuD seminaries in Pakistan. His native town, Dipalpur in Okara district, holds significance as it is the hometown of Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured LeT attacker during the Mumbai assaults.

Lashkar-E-Taiba: A Brief Overview

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) came into existence in 1990, based in Pakistan, with a primary objective of opposing ‘Indian control over Jammu and Kashmir.’ Initially formed as the military wing of the Pakistani Islamist organization Markaz-ad-Dawa-wal-Irshad (MDI) by Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, LeT later purportedly separated from MDI in 2002.

Initially resisting the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, LeT redirected its focus to Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s. Known for conducting lethal attacks against Indian officials, troops, and civilians, the group has earned a terrorist designation from numerous countries.

This confirmation of Hafiz Abdul Salam Bhuttavi’s death underscores a significant chapter in the fight against terrorism, particularly in the context of LeT’s historical activities and its role in the tragic events of 26/11.