Pakistan riots organized by the Lashkar-e-Taiba

‘Religious groups organised violence’

LAHORE: The chain of violent incidents across the city on Tuesday was orchestrated by a group of trained young activists of religious organisations, sources in intelligence agencies and the religious groups told Daily Times. They said that the activists belonged to Al-Dawa Students Organisations, which is affiliated to Jamaatud Dawa (formerly known as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is officially banned in Pakistan), Islami Jamiat Talaba and Shabab-e-Milli, groups affiliated to Jamaat-e-Islami. The sources said that ten groups of at least 35 men each carried out most of the violence, including burning and ransacking buildings, across Lahore. The main group travelled around in a maroon jeep and motorcycles and most of its members had long hair, beards and were clad in commando uniforms. The Jamaatud Dawa flag hung from the jeep and motorcycles. All of them were trained and many were summoned to Lahore from other cities, the sources said. They were armed with petrol bombs, firecrackers, small weapons and a chemical fire accelerant. The main group was spotted at incidents of violence near a KFC restaurant on The Mall, the Punjab Assembly, a Mcdonald’s on Egerton Road and Metropolitan Bank. Lahore police started a crackdown based on intelligence information on Tuesday night and detained hundreds of the activists, the sources said. shahnawaz khan