The body of Khalid Bashir, chief security officer for Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD)’s Hafiz Saeed, was found near Sheikhapura canal on Mureed Kay road in Lahore.
The JuD is the charity wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group which India has accused of masterminding the 2008 terrorist attacks in the Indian commercial hub of Mumbai.
According to sources, Bashir received a phone call from an unknown person while having dinner at his residence. Later at night, he went missing and his body, showing signs of torture, was found in the morning.
Bashir, apart from being the head of all the security matters of the organization, was responsible for coordinating all of Hafiz Saeed’s movements. The 42-year-old Bashir had joined JuD as a worker about 25 years ago and had risen in the organisation, ultimately becoming the security head.
Hafiz Saeed told The Express Tribune that Bashir was an old loyalist who had thwarted many attempts on his life. Saeed alleged that Bashior’s role in the JuD had irked certain powers, who wanted him dead.
Security for major JuD leaders was tightened as a result of the killing.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2013.