A formal request has been sent by the Indian government to Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks
According to sources, the formal request has been sent by the Ministry of External Affairs to the government of Pakistan in which it has urged them to initiate the legal process for Saeed’s extradition.
Despite Saeed’s consistent denial of leadership in the militant group LeT and claims of innocence, legal challenges persist. Initially arrested in July 2019, he received an 11-year sentence shortly before Pakistan faced scrutiny from the Financial Action Task Force.
In April of the preceding year, a Pakistani court sentenced Saeed to 31 years for his involvement in terrorism financing. His current status is ambiguous, with conflicting reports suggesting freedom following his release from house arrest in 2017. Over the past decade, Saeed has encountered multiple cycles of arrest and release.
Further escalating the situation, India labelled Hafiz Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) last year. Now, Talha is gearing up to participate in Pakistan’s upcoming general elections as part of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, a political party initiated by his father.