ISLAMABAD(Correspondent LP)-Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has turned down India’s plea to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the accused planner of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives. She said that there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. India had previously requested Pakistan to hand over Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“Pakistan has received a request from the Indian authorities, seeking extradition of Hafiz Saeed in a money laundering case,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
She also said that “no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India,” implying that Pakistan is not obliged to comply with India’s request.
Meanwhile, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, announced that India has formally requested the extradition of Hafiz Saeed from Pakistan to face trial in a specific case. Mr. Bagchi addressed the media during the weekly briefing, highlighting the significance of the request.
“The person in question, Hafiz Saeed, 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,” stated Mr. Bagchi. “We have been consistently addressing the issues related to the activities he’s wanted for. This is a recent request,” he added.
Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), is infamous for masterminding the deadly 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Despite being designated a terrorist by the UN and EU, Saeed had not faced charges or extradition for almost two decades. However, he has been in jail since July 17, 2019, for other charges. In April 2022, a special anti-terrorism court in Lahore sentenced him to 33 years in prison for “financing terrorism.”
Critically, the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political entity associated with Hafiz Saeed, has drawn criticism for fielding candidates in all national and provincial assembly constituencies across Pakistan for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024. Talha Saeed, Hafiz Saeed’s son, is also entering the political arena by contesting from the National Assembly’s constituency NA-127 in Lahore. PMML’s central president, Khalid Masood Sindhu, is set to compete in NA-130 against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif. This development has raised concerns and sparked a debate regarding the political influence of individuals associated with UN-proscribed terrorists in the upcoming Pakistani elections.
India has a tendency to put pressure on Pakistan with unjustified requests whenever it faces an election. Anti-Pakistan rhetoric is a common way to win votes in Indian elections.
