India has formally urged Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the alleged mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday.
The Ministry stated, “The individual in question is wanted in numerous cases in India and is a UN-designated terrorist. Accordingly, we have forwarded a request, along with pertinent supporting documentation, to the Pakistani government, seeking his extradition to face trial in a specific case.”
During the tragic 26/11 Mumbai attacks, over 160 people lost their lives.
Various media reports in Pakistan have highlighted India’s request for Saeed’s handover, although experts have noted the absence of a formal extradition agreement between India and Pakistan.
Saeed has been designated as a terrorist not only by India but also by several other countries. The United States, for instance, has announced a reward of nearly $100 million for Saeed and his organization.
Currently imprisoned in Pakistan due to alleged involvement in terror funding cases, experts in defense affairs have stressed that for Pakistan to foster positive relations with neighboring countries and counter terrorism effectively, extraditing Saeed would be a significant step forward.
