India has asked Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, leader of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, and a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
“As you are aware, the person in question is wanted in numerous cases in India. He is also a UN-proscribed terrorist. In this regard, we have conveyed a request, along with relevant supporting documents, to the Government of Pakistan to extradite him to India to face trial in a particular case,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a press briefing on Friday.
The development confirms media reports in Pakistan that New Delhi had made the request to Islamabad.
Saeed is best known to Indians as the chief of the LeT, which rose to prominence in the 1990s after it carried out terror attacks on India’s military and civilian targets in Kashmir.
According to numerous international agencies, Saeed was involved in planning the Mumbai attacks in 2008.
A Pakistani court also sentenced Saeed to prison on terrorism financing charges in 2022. Besides, the Indian and American governments have also listed Saeed as a terrorist.
“On December 10, 2008, Saeed was listed at the United Nations 1267/1989 al-Qa’ida Sanctions Committee as an individual associated with the al-Qa’ida terrorist organization and, thus, subject to international sanctions,” according to American law enforcement agencies, who have offered a $10 million bounty on Saeed.
New Delhi and Washington have also expressed concerns about Saeed’s ability to roam freely in Pakistan.
The 75-year old has routinely addressed political rallies and is the force behind Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political party.His son, Talha Saeed, is a key figure in the LeT and is expected to contest for a seat in the 2024 Pakistan general elections.
