India on Friday reiterated its request to Pakistan for the extradition of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who is sought by India in connection with multiple terrorist acts, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Indian Ministery of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagachi confirmed the request in a weekly briefing. Answering a question, the spokesperson said:
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. We have been flagging the issue of activities, that he’s been wanted for … This is a recent request.
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was sanctioned by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on December 10, 2008, under resolution 1822 (2008) for his association with LeT and Al-Qaeda. The resolution reaffirmed the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo affecting all individuals and entities included on the UNSC’s sanctions list, usually individuals accused of terrorist activities.
As the leader of LeT, Saeed reportedly played a significant role in the group’s operational and fundraising activities. He received militant training in Afghanistan in the late 1970s or early 1980s and maintained ties with key figures, including Dr. Abdullah Azzam and Osama bin Laden. Saeed is also accused of organizing the infiltration of LeT militants into Iraq in 2005 and managing a terrorist camp in 2006. Additionally, he allegedly established a LeT office in Quetta, Pakistan, in 2006 to support the Taliban’s operations in Afghanistan. Furthermore, India has maintained its position that Saeed was allegedly the mastermind behind the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai.
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were a series of coordinated assaults by ten gunmen linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba in India. Over four days in November, they targeted sites like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, resulting in 166 deaths and 300 injuries. Indian security forces, notably the National Security Guard, ended the attacks on November 29. The incident heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, leading to increased international focus on terrorism and global counter-terrorism efforts.
Saeed has also faced multiple convictions in his own country Pakistan on terrorism-related charges. He was sentenced to a combined 31 years in prison by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court for two cases of terror financing in 2022. The court imposed a collective fine of Pakistani Rs. 340,000 and ordered the immediate seizure of Saeed’s assets, including a mosque and madrassa. Furthermore, he was convicted in two terror-financing cases by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in 2020. Saeed had received a six-month sentence for being a member of a “proscribed organization” and an additional consecutive five years for an “illegal property” charge.
India has previously sought the extradition of Hafiz Saeed, but Pakistan’s government did not take any action in response to the earlier requests. A lack of an extradition treaty between India and Pakistan has made the realisation of India’s requests difficult.
