Why is Hafiz Saeed from Pakistan wanted in India?

In this Feb. 5, 2019 file photo, Hafiz Saeed addresses a rally in Lahore, Pakistan. | Photo credit: AP

The Story So Far: Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed (76), who heads Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was named in the second charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 6 in the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, dead last April. A group of militants, believed to be from LeT and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF), targeted tourists at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Meadow, which has no access for motorbikes and tourists reach this alpine meadow on ponies. In the NIA charge sheet, Saeed is accused not only as an individual but also as the head of the banned terrorist organization LetT and its active proxy organization TRF.

What charges does Saeed face?

The NIA prosecution filed several charges against Saeed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. They include waging war against India and conspiracies across borders. The NIA said it had earlier submitted a 1,597-page charge sheet. The latest indictment details Saeed’s role. This is supported by evidence collected through careful scientific research and ground survey, the NIA said. It was on 15 December 2025 that the NIA filed the first charge sheet in the Pahalgam attack.

When was the last time Saeed faced the heat from India?

The 2008 Mumbai attack cast a harsh light on Saeed and the LeT. The attack left 166 dead, including six US citizens. Both India and the US lobbied the UN against Saeed and had him listed in 2008 under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Resolution 1822, which calls for an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The US also designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2008. Later in 2012, the US announced a $10 million reward for information that would bring Hafiz Saeed to justice. Earlier, in 2001, the US designated Saeed’s LeT as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Where does the LeT chief operate from?

Saeed, whose family migrated from the Indian side of Punjab during the 1947 partition, operates from Pakistan. He studied Islamic studies at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and served as a professor of Islamic studies. According to the UN, Saeed played a key role in LeT’s operational and fundraising activities. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, he traveled to Afghanistan for militant training. In 2006, Saeed oversaw the management of the terrorist camp, including the funding of the camp. In June 2006, he established a LeT office in Quetta, Pakistan to assist the Taliban in conducting its operations in Afghanistan. Since 2008, Saeed has been in and out of jail in Pakistan on numerous occasions. He was taken into custody and then transferred to house arrest by the Pakistani government in 2020. However, he was released from house arrest again in 2021. Pakistan’s interior ministry has decided not to press any further charges against him.

Why is Saeed so important to India?

Saeed’s LeT is believed to be behind major attacks in parts of India, including Kashmir. This includes the Red Fort attack in 2000, the Indian Parliament attack in 2001, the Akshardham Temple attack in 2002 and the Mumbai train bombings in 2006. After the Pahalgam attack, India attacked several Saeed training camps in Operation Sindoor. Apart from Saeed, Pakistani LeT terrorist Sajid Jatt was also among the accused in the Pahalgam attack. The Indian Army has already killed three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack in Operation Mahadev conducted in July 2025. Two local residents also remain behind bars for their role in the attack.

Published – 7 Jul 2026 09:44 IST