Time For Reckoning? India Formally Requests Pakistan To Extradite 26/11 Mumbai Attack Mastermind Hafiz Saeed

In a significant move, the Indian government has officially reached out to Pakistan, formally requesting the extradition of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

Sources, as reported by India Today have confirmed that the Ministry of External Affairs has initiated the extradition request, urging the Pakistani government to kickstart the legal process for Hafiz Saeed's extradition.

Saeed has long been listed as one of India's most wanted terrorists and carries a $10 million bounty placed by the United States for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

India has consistently pressed for Saeed's extradition to face trial for the Mumbai attacks. However, the absence of an extradition treaty between India and Pakistan adds complexity to the process.

Initially arrested in July 2019, he received an 11-year sentence shortly before Pakistan's economic review by the Financial Action Task Force.

However, his current incarceration status remains uncertain, with conflicting reports suggesting that he may be a free man, having been released from house arrest.

Earlier, India had declared Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) last year.

Interestingly, Talha Saeed is now gearing up to contest the upcoming general elections in Pakistan under the banner of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political party established by his father.