Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed designated as terrorist

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Ranjan

New Delhi, April 9

The government today issued a notification under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, declaring 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s son Hafiz Talha Saeed as a designated terrorist. With this, the number of terrorists under the category has risen to 32.

Talha is a senior leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the head of the cleric wing of the terror outfit. According to an MHA notification, Talha now figures in the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA that contains names of the persons declared as designated terrorists.

The MHA said Talha has been actively involved in recruitment, fund collection, planning and executing attacks by the LeT in India and Indian interests in Afghanistan. The notification also mentioned that the designated terrorist had been actively visiting various LeT centres across Pakistan for sermons that propagated jihad against India, Israel, the US and Indian interests in other western countries. It is to be noted here that the government had amended the UAPA, 1967, in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.

Following the amendment, the MHA had designated nine individuals as terrorists under the UAPA Act in July 2020, which included Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Dawood Ibrahim.

Babbar Khalsa International chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar, International Sikh Youth Federation chief Lakhbir Singh, Khalistan Zindabad Force chief Ranjeet Singh and Khalistan Commando Force head Paramjit Singh are also on the list. All four are based in Pakistan. Others include Germany-based Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) member Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, KZF’s Gurmeet Singh Bagga, US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the Sikhs for Justice, Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar and UK-based Babbar Khalsa International’s Paramjit Singh.

Charges against him

• Hafiz Talha Saeed (46), a resident of Lahore, actively involved in planning and execution of attacks in India
• Propagates jihad against India, Israel, US and other countries by actively visiting Lashkar centres across Pakistan for sermons

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