India asks Pakistan to hand over 26/11 terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed; Details inside-

NewsBharati 29-Dec-2023 11:22:33 AM

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New Delhi, Dec 29: India has asked Pakistan to hand over Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, who is wanted in the country for several terror attacks including the 2008 assault on Mumbai. This comes as the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party backed by Saeed, has fielded candidates for upcoming Pakistan elections.

The Indian demand for handing over Saeed, who was detained in 2019 by Pakistani authorities in connection with charges of terror financing. Saeed has been convicted and sentenced in at least five cases of terror financing since 2020, though his current whereabouts are not known.

Notably, India has called on Pakistan several times to hand over Saeed for his role in masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people and injured hundreds more. Saeed has never been formally charged by Pakistani authorities for his role in the Mumbai attacks.

When Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was asked about the matter during a weekly media briefing on Thursday, she replied, "The question is based on speculative reporting. We would not like to comment on such reports."

BIG NEWS ⚡⚡ India in strict words asks Pakistan to handover 26/11 Mumbai mastermind Hafiz Saeed as he is contesting elections.

Pakistan is exposed as UN-designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed is sentenced to 31 years in jail by Pak court in 2 terror cases but he is openly contesting… pic.twitter.com/0pnqoWYaQT
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) December 28, 2023

The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party backed by Saeed, has fielded candidates for every National Assembly constituency for Pakistan’s general election in February 2024. Among the candidates is Saeed’s son Talha Saeed, who is contesting from a parliamentary constituency in Lahore. The PMML was created after the Pakistan government banned the Milli Muslim League.

Saeed has been given prison terms ranging from fifteen-and-a-half years to 31 years following his conviction in the cases of terror financing. He was detained in these cases following pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Western powers.