In a persistent call for justice, India has once again urged Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind behind the harrowing 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Saeed, a prominent figure linked to terror activities, has recently faced sentencing ranging from fifteen-and-a-half years to 31 years in prison due to convictions related to terror financing.
Reports surfaced following demands by Indian officials for Pakistan to extradite Saeed, who has been under Pakistani detention since 2019 on charges of terror financing. However, despite multiple convictions in cases related to funding terrorism since 2020, the whereabouts of Saeed remain undisclosed.
India’s persistent appeal to Pakistan to extradite Saeed stems from his alleged pivotal role in orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, a tragedy that claimed 166 lives and left hundreds injured. Despite India’s calls for extradition, Pakistani authorities have not formally charged Saeed for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks.
When questioned about the issue during a routine media briefing, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, refrained from commenting, dismissing the query as speculative reporting.
Saeed’s recent convictions in terror financing cases were prompted by mounting pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Western nations, leading to his detainment in 2019. Notably, in 2012, the United States had offered a bounty of $10 million for information leading to Saeed’s capture. Both the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), identified as fronts for the terror group, have been banned by the US and the UN.
Despite international sanctions and efforts to curtail Saeed’s activities, he continued to operate freely within Pakistan. Additionally, candidates affiliated with the Milli Muslim League, another alleged front organization for LeT, attempted to participate in Pakistan’s 2018 elections.
In a recent development, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party purportedly backed by Saeed, has nominated candidates for every National Assembly constituency in Pakistan’s upcoming general elections in February 2024. Notably, among the candidates is Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, vying for a parliamentary seat in Lahore. The PMML emerged following the ban imposed by the Pakistani government on the Milli Muslim League.
The ongoing situation surrounding Hafiz Saeed remains a subject of international concern, with India persisting in its efforts to secure justice for the victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. As tensions persist between India and Pakistan over this issue, the extradition of Saeed continues to hang in uncertainty while his affiliations find political footing within Pakistan’s electoral landscape.
Sources By Agencies
