Indian Govt Formally Requests Pakistan For Extradition Of 26/11 Mastermind Hafiz Saeed: Sources

Despite asserting innocence and disavowing leadership roles within LeT, Saeed has experienced several arrests and releases in the past decade. In April of the previous year, a Pakistani court issued a 31-year prison sentence for charges related to terrorism financing, with conflicting reports regarding his current incarceration status.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 28 December 2023 2:49 pm

Hafiz Talah Saeed, Son of Mumbai Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed

The Indian government has officially requested Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The Ministry of External Affairs has sent a formal request to the Pakistani government, urging them to initiate the legal process for Saeed's extradition, according to media reports.

Saeed, listed as one of India's most wanted terrorists with a $10 million bounty placed by the US for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has faced legal challenges over the years. Arrested in July 2019 and sentenced to 11 years just months before Pakistan's review by the Financial Action Task Force, Saeed's legal status remains uncertain.

Despite claims of innocence and denial of leadership within LeT, Saeed has been arrested and released multiple times over the past decade. In April last year, a Pakistani court sentenced him to 31 years in prison for terrorism financing, though reports conflict on whether he is currently in jail.

Last year, India declared Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Talha Saeed is now preparing to contest the upcoming general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political party floated by his father.

The home ministry in India stated that Hafiz Saeed was involved in various attacks, including the Red Fort in 2000, a CRPF camp in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), India's worst terror strike in Mumbai in 2008, and the attack on a BSF convoy at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015.

Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD), was designated a global terrorist by the UN under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 on December 10, 2008. In April 2022, he was sentenced to 31 years in prison in two cases, with an imposed fine, by an anti-terrorism court. Saeed, known for planning and funding terror attacks, was the mastermind behind the devastating 2008 Mumbai attacks, resulting in 166 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of the Treasury.