In a formal move, India has officially requested Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, a key suspect in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, for trial in India. The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi confirmed the development, stating that the request, supported by pertinent documents, has been conveyed to the Pakistani government.

Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi disclosed in a briefing on Friday, "We have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents to the government of Pakistan." According to local media reports, the last communication on this matter was dispatched to Pakistan a few weeks ago.

Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) armed group, is currently in custody in Pakistan. He faces accusations from both India and the United States for his alleged involvement in the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, during which 166 people lost their lives.

India has persistently urged its neighbor to hand over Saeed to face trial in connection with the Mumbai attacks. Saeed, however, denies any involvement in the 2008 incidents, during which 10 gunmen infiltrated Mumbai by boat from Pakistan and carried out attacks at various city landmarks over several days.

While Pakistani authorities have placed Saeed under house arrest at different intervals, accusing him of connections to armed groups, he was sentenced to 31 years in prison by a Pakistani court on April 9, 2002, for his involvement in "terrorism" financing.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawa group, led by Saeed, has also been banned by the Pakistani government. The organization, accused of funding armed groups, was designated a "terror" outfit by the United States in 2001, with a $10 million reward offered for information leading to Saeed's conviction.

Notably, India executed the lone surviving perpetrator of the 2008 attacks, Pakistani national Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, in 2012. The formal request for Saeed's extradition marks another chapter in the ongoing efforts to bring those responsible for the Mumbai attacks to justice.

BOB Post