Why Pakistan-based Hafiz Saeed is wanted for the Pahalgam carnage? | Explained

The Story So Far: The Pakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed (76), who heads the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was named in the second chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 6 in the Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 civilians, including 25 tourists, dead in April last year. A group of gunmen believed to be of the LeT and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) targeted tourists at Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow, which has no motorable access and tourists use ponies to reach this high-altitude meadow. In the NIA chargesheet, Saeed is charged not only in an individual capacity but also as the chief of the banned LeT terror outfit and its active proxy organisation TRF.

What charges are Saeed facing?

The NIA chargesheet has pressed several charges against Saeed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. It includes waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border. The NIA said it earlier submitted a 1,597-page chargesheet. The latest chargesheet has details of Saeed’s role. It’s supported by the evidence collected through meticulous scientific investigation and on-ground examination, the NIA said. It was on December 15, 2025, the NIA had filed its first chargesheet in the Pahalgam attack.

When did Saeed last face the heat from India?

The Mumbai attack in 2008 put a sharp spotlight on Saeed and the LeT. The attack left 166 people dead, including six U.S. citizens. Both India and the U.S. lobbied in the United Nations against Saeed and had him listed in 2008 in pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1822, which calls for assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The U.S. also enlisted Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2008. Later in 2012, the U.S. announced a reward money of $10 million‎ for those providing information that brings Hafiz Saeed to justice. Earlier, in 2001, the U.S. designated Saeed’s LeT as Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Where is the LeT chief operating from?

Saeed, whose family migrated from the Indian side of Punjab during Partition, is operating from Pakistan. He has studied Islamic studies at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and worked as a professor of Islamic studies. According to the UN, Saeed has played a key role in LeT’s operational and fundraising activities. He travelled to Afghanistan during the late 1970s or the early 1980s to receive militant training. In 2006, Saeed oversaw the management of a terrorist camp, including funding of the camp. He established an LeT office in Quetta, Pakistan in June 2006 to assist the Taliban in the conduct of their operations in Afghanistan. Since 2008, Saeed has been in and out of jail on many occasions in Pakistan. He was taken into custody and then shifted to house detention by the government of Pakistan in 2020. However, in 2021, he was released again from house arrest. The Home department of Pakistan decided against filing any other case against him.

Why is Saeed so important for India?

Saeed’s LeT is believed to be behind the 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 multiple training camps of Saeed in Operation Sindoor. Besides Saeed, LeT’s Pakistani handler 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 as part of Operation Mahadev carried out in July 2025. Two locals also remain behind the bars for their role in the attack.