FOUNDER OF GLOBAL TERROR GROUP BACKS IMRAN KHAN’S PARTY
ISLAMABAD: Fazlur Rehman Khalil, the founder of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and a US-designated global terrorist with links to al-Qaeda, is backing Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the upcoming elections, according to a senior party leader on Tuesday. Initially, an announcement was made about Khalil’s joining the PTI on the official Facebook page of party senior vice president Asad Umar, a close aide of Khan. But Umar later amended the post, which was written in Urdu, and said that Khalil would back the PTI.
ISLAMABAD: Fazlur Rehman Khalil, the founder of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) and a US-designated global terrorist with links to al-Qaeda, on Tuesday said he would support Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the upcoming general elections.
PTI senior vice president Asad Umar, a close aide of Khan, had initially announced Khalil’s entry into the party on his official Facebook page. A post in Urdu said Khalil had joined the PTI with his followers and clerics to support Umar’s campaign for a parliamentary seat in Islamabad.
Khalil would also work to strengthen steps “to make Pakistan a true Islamic democratic state”, the post added.
After the news spread on social media, Umar amended his Facebook post and said Khalil had announced his support for the PTI. Khalil also told the Pakistani media he would support Umar, whom he had hosted at a meeting on Sunday.
The development comes close on the heels of members of several terror groups, including the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, contesting the July 25 general elections. After the Election Commission refused to register the JuD’s political party, its candidates were fielded under the banner of the little known Allah-hu-Akbar Tehreek.
Khalil currently heads the Ansar-ul-Umma, which was designated a front for the HuM by the US in September 2014. At the same time, Khalil was designated a global terrorist. At the time, the US said Khalil’s group was responsible for terror attacks in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Currently based in Rawalpindi, Khalil is believed to have retained links to several terror groups and the Pakistani military establishment.
He was one of signatories of Osama bin Laden’s declaration of global jihad in 1996 and has been accused of having close ties with al-Qaeda.