THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2024
Team Herald
The Indian government has officially asked Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Ministry of External Affairs has sent a formal request to Pakistan, urging them to begin the legal process for Saeed's extradition.
Hafiz Saeed is on India's list of most-wanted terrorists, with a $10 million bounty placed by the US for his suspected role in the Mumbai attacks. India has been pushing for his extradition, but the lack of an extradition treaty between the two countries complicates the process.
Despite his denials of leading LeT and claiming innocence, Saeed has faced legal challenges. He was first arrested in July 2019 and received an 11-year sentence just before Pakistan's review by the Financial Action Task Force.
In April of the previous year, documents revealed that a Pakistani court sentenced Saeed to 31 years in prison for terrorism financing. However, it's uncertain whether he is in jail, with some reports suggesting he remains a free man after being released from house arrest in 2017. Saeed has been arrested and released multiple times over the past decade.
Last year, India declared Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Now, Talha Saeed is gearing up to participate in the upcoming general elections in Pakistan under the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political party established by his father.
