NEW DELHI: India has sought the extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed who is wanted in the country for many terror related incidents including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that led to the deaths of 175 people and injured over 300.
A country can request extradition from another country even if there is no extradition treaty, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
"As you are aware, the person in question 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," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, adding that this was communicated to Pakistan recently.
India has for long been urging Pakistan to hand over Saeed to face trial over the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Saeed also carries a $10 million bounty by the US government.
Meanwhile, Hafiz’s son Talha Saeed is reported to have shown interest in contesting the upcoming elections in Pakistan.
"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," Bagchi added.
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 exploded inside a refrigerator shop 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.