India has requested Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, for trial in India, according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. The request was accompanied by relevant supporting documents.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed receiving the request, stating that it was for a “so-called money laundering case”. However, Baloch noted that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India.
Hafiz Saeed, a hardline cleric, has been a well-known figure in Pakistan since the 2000s, with his organization Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) and its charity wing, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), facing crackdowns due to international pressure. In April 2022, Saeed was awarded a combined sentence of 33 years imprisonment in two cases of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
This extradition request marks a significant move in India’s efforts to bring Saeed to justice for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The outcome of this request remains uncertain, as the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty between Pakistan and India may complicate the process.
