Extraditing Saeed

PAKISTAN’S unwillingness to accede to India’s request for the extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed was obvious. As expected, within hours of India making its demand public, Islamabad effectively rejected it, stating that the two countries had no bilateral treaty to address such matters. Nevertheless, the message conveyed by New Delhi is significant. Pakistan’s patronage of the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks continues unabated. The LeT and other terror groups are flourishing. Reports that Saeed’s son Talha plans to contest February’s general election is an endorsement of India’s stand that mainstreaming of terrorist groups is a state policy in Pakistan. India had designated Talha as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2022. He serves as the LeT’s second-in-command, controlling its finances.

A Pakistani court had sentenced Saeed to 31 years in prison in 2022 after he was convicted of terror financing. He had been found guilty on similar charges in 2020 and awarded a 15-year sentence. India views the prison terms as the outcome of the pressure exerted by the Financial Action Task Force and Western powers. Its request for extradition this time round also lists charges of money laundering for terror purposes. It’s a reminder that international efforts against designated terror groups and their sponsors still lack a coherent and all-encompassing strategy.

The LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawah, a front for the terror group, have been banned by the US and the United Nations. China remains a stumbling block, shielding Islamabad against sanctions by a UN committee that focuses on the principal perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks. Whatever the odds, it’s vital for India to keep mounting pressure for action against the likes of Saeed. He represents an ideology that incites hatred and justifies terror. It has to be defeated.