Azam Cheema

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Azam Cheema (1953 – February 28, 2024), also known as Baba or Babaji, was a Pakistani member of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He was described as the LeT’s intelligence chief and a key planner behind major attacks in India, including the 2006 Mumbai train bombings and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He taught bomb-making, helped infiltrate Indian territory, and supervised LeT training camps and recruitment.

Born in Faisalabad, Cheema worked as an Islamic studies teacher before joining LeT in the 1990s. Indian and other authorities linked him to al-Qaeda and alleged ties with Pakistan’s intelligence service (ISI), though accounts vary. In 2010, the United States designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and imposed sanctions.

Cheema died of a heart attack in Pakistan on February 28, 2024, at about 70 or 71. His funeral was held in Faisalabad.