Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid killed by unidentified gunmen in Sindh
New Delhi, May 18 (PTI): Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid alias Abu Saifullah Khalid, who was the brain behind the 2006 attack on the RSS headquarters, was killed by three unidentified gunmen in Sindh province of Pakistan on Sunday, officials here said.
Khalid used to head the terror operations of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) from Nepal in early 2000 and had many aliases including Vinode Kumar, Mohammed Salim and Razaullah. He was involved in multiple terror strikes in India, they said.
He left his residence at Matli this afternoon and was gunned down by assailants near a crossing at Badni in Sindh province, the officials said.
A close associate of Abu Anas of Lashkar, Khalid was the mastermind of the attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters at Nagpur in which all three terrorists were shot dead.
Besides the RSS attack, the Lashkar operative was involved in the Indian Institute of Science terror attack of 2005 in Bengaluru, in which IIT professor Munish Chandra Puri was killed and four others injured.
The terrorists had escaped from the scene. Later, police investigated the case and chargesheeted Abu Anas, who is still at large.
Khalid was also the mastermind of the 2008 attack on a CRPF camp at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh in which seven personnel and a civilian were killed. The two terrorists escaped under the cover of darkness.
From mid-2000, Khalid was the in-charge of the Nepal module of LeT, responsible for the recruitment of cadres, providing financial and logistic support and facilitating the movement of LeT operatives across the Indo-Nepal border.
Khalid was working closely with LeT's so-called "launching commanders" -- Azam Cheema alias Babaji and Yaqoob (LeT's chief accountant).
Khalid left Nepal and returned to Pakistan after Indian security agencies exposed the module. He later worked closely with several leaders of LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawah, including Yusuf Muzammil, LeT commander for Jammu and Kashmir, Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi and Muhammad Yusuf Taibi.
Khalid was tasked by the LeT and JuD leadership in Pakistan to undertake the recruitment of fresh cadres from the areas of Badin and Hyderabad districts of Sindh and collect funds for the organisation.
According to media reports from Sindh, Khalid was declared brought dead at hospital after being shot. These reports also termed it a case of personal enmity.
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UP cites SC ruling 'no loudspeakers during night hours' to clarify mosque announcements for Ramzan
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday clarified its stand on announcements from mosques for 'sehri' and 'iftar' during Ramzan, saying the practice dates back to a time when clocks were not widely in use, and that the Supreme Court orders on use of loudspeakers remained in force.
Samajwadi Party member Kamal Akhtar raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Assembly, saying since festivals of all religions, including Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, Kanwar Yatra as well as Christian and Sikh celebrations, are observed in the state, mosques should be allowed to use loudspeakers for making announcements during the holy month of Ramzan that commenced on Thursday.
Akhtar said brief announcements are traditionally made from the mosques to inform people observing fast about the timings of ‘sehri’ (pre-dawn meal) and ‘iftar’ (meal to break the fast).
He also claimed that the government recently removed loudspeakers from most religious places, and urged it to permit mosque announcements during Ramzan to provide relief to people.
The Supreme Court prohibits the use of loudspeakers, public address systems, and sound-producing instruments from 10 pm to 6 am, except in closed premises such as auditoriums, conference rooms, and banquet halls for internal communication.
Responding to Akhtar, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the Supreme Court has clearly directed that loudspeakers should not be used after 10 pm.
Even at weddings, police ensure compliance if complaints are received about loudspeakers being used beyond the stipulated time, he said.
Referring to the tradition of mosque announcements for ‘sehri’ and ‘iftar’, Khanna said the practice originated when clocks were not common and people estimated time by the position of the sun.
“Today, almost every person – whether a rickshaw puller, street vendor or vegetable seller – has a mobile phone that shows time. So the necessity is no longer there,” he said.
While the government does not interfere in anyone's religious beliefs, the Supreme Court has laid down the rules on the use of loudspeakers, and “it is not our order”, the minister said.
Claiming that the apex court order relates to sound levels and does not prohibit the use of loudspeakers, Akhtar urged the minister to allow the announcements during Ramzan.
The minister, however, did not offer any further reply.
