In a recent development, Bharat has formally requested Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. The extradition request is related to a money laundering case, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch. However, she highlighted that there is no existing bilateral extradition treaty between the two neighboring countries.
The Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, emphasized that Hafiz Saeed is wanted in multiple cases in Bharat and is also designated as a UN-proscribed terrorist. The Bharat government has conveyed the extradition request, along with supporting documents, urging Pakistan to extradite Saeed to face trial in a specific case. This comes as part of Bharat’s ongoing efforts to address the activities for which Saeed is wanted.
Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), played a key role in orchestrating the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU, Saeed had not been charged or extradited for almost two decades. He has been in jail since July 17, 2019, facing charges related to financing terrorism.
In April 2022, a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Pakistan, sentenced Hafiz Saeed to a jail term of 33 years for his involvement in financing terrorism. This marked a significant development in the legal proceedings against the notorious figure.
However, in a move drawing criticism, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political entity associated with Hafiz Saeed, has announced its participation in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024. PMML has fielded candidates for every national and provincial assembly constituency across Pakistan, including Hafiz Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, who will be contesting from the National Assembly’s constituency NA-127 in Lahore. PMML’s central president, Khalid Masood Sindhu, is also set to contest elections from NA-130, challenging Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif.
As the extradition process unfolds and political dynamics continue to evolve, the case of Hafiz Saeed remains a focal point in the relations between Bharat and Pakistan, with implications for regional security and stability.
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