The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially communicated a request to the Pakistan government for the extradition of Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the UN-proscribed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is wanted in numerous cases in India.
Speaking at the weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi highlighted that India has conveyed the extradition request along with all relevant supporting documents to Pakistan. He emphasized that Hafiz Saeed is not only wanted in several cases in India but is also a UN-proscribed terrorist.
“The person in question (Hafiz Saeed) 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. We have been flagging the issue of activities that he’s been wanted for. This is a recent request,” stated Arindam Bagchi.
Responding to questions about the mainstreaming of radical outfits in Pakistan, particularly the participation of Hafiz Saeed’s son in upcoming elections, Bagchi mentioned that India has been monitoring such developments. He noted that the mainstreaming of radical outfits has been a part of Pakistan’s state policy for a long time, and it has serious security implications for the region.
“The issue of radical elements normalized and participating in elections in Pakistan… it is an internal affair, so let me not comment on it. But, the mainstreaming of radical outfits in Pakistan is nothing new and has been a part of their state policy for a long time. Such developments have serious security implications for the security of our region. For our part, we continue to monitor every development that has implications for our national security,” added Bagchi.
Hafiz Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist, has been in jail since July 2019 on other charges. Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU in the 2000s, Saeed was neither charged nor extradited for nearly two decades. In April 2022, he was sentenced to a 33-year jail term for “financing terrorism” by a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan.
In a recent development, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political entity associated with Hafiz Saeed, has fielded candidates for all national and provincial assembly constituencies across Pakistan for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024. Hafiz Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, is set to contest from the National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore. PMML’s central president, Khalid Masood Sindhu, is participating from NA-130 against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.