India Charges Hafiz Saeed Over Attack in Kashmir
By Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, India – India’s anti-terrorism agency announced on Monday that it has filed charges against Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), related to a tourist attack in Kashmir last year that escalated tensions with Pakistan.
The Indian government has linked the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, to Pakistani nationals supported by the Pakistani government. In response, Pakistan has denied any involvement and has called for an independent investigation.
Last July, Indian forces reportedly killed three militants they said were connected to the attack, citing their links to Pakistan.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India filed charges in December against the LeT, its affiliate known as The Resistance Front (TRF), and six other individuals for their roles in the attack. Initially, the TRF took responsibility for the assault but later retracted its statement.
The NIA stated that the charges against Saeed include details about a supposed conspiracy involving Pakistan, his involvement in the planning, and evidence gathered through scientific investigations and on-site assessments.
Requests for comments from Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministries were not immediately answered.
Hafiz Saeed founded LeT in the early 1990s and has led the organization through various iterations since then. He is also known for orchestrating the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which left 166 people dead over three days. Saeed has been imprisoned in Pakistan since being convicted in 2020 for financing terrorism.
(Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari; writing by Sakshi Dayal; edited by YP Rajesh and William Maclean)
