Govt again asks Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed to face trial

“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,” Bagchi said, adding the latest communication was sent to Pakistan a “few weeks ago”.

India has for long been asking Pakistan to hand Saeed over to face trial in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Saeed also faces a USD 10 million bounty by the US government.

Responding to questions on reports of Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, contesting elections in Pakistan, Bagchi said, “The mainstreaming of radical terrorist outfits in Pakistan is nothing new, and has been a part of the state policy for a long time. Such developments have serious implications for the security of our region. We will of course continue to monitor all developments that have an implication on our national security.”

India designated Talha a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in April 2022. He serves as the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s second-in-command, controlling its finances.

In 2019, Talha escaped an assassination attempt when a bomb inside a refrigerator shop exploded in Lahore.

According to the government notification, Talha is the head of the cleric wing of the LeT, which is a proscribed organisation under the UAPA.