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Hafiz Saeed's son Talha fumes as Bilawal Bhutto says Pakistan ‘unopposed’ to Lashkar chief's extradition
Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, said that Bilawal Bhutto's remarks were against Pakistan's state policy and national interest.
Pakistan's former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Islamabad "would not be opposed" to the extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a 'confidence-building' measure, drawing the ire of LeT chief's son, Talha Saeed.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the Pakistan People's Party chairman was responding to a question about extraditing Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar. "As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things," he said.
According to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta), Pakistan has banned both the LeT and JeM. The 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind, Hafiz Saeed, is currently serving a 33-year sentence for terror financing, while Masood Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, has been proscribed by Nacta.
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Saeed has reportedly been lodged in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019.
Masood Azhar is one of India's most wanted terrorists, with links to several major attacks in the nation, including the 26/11 attacks, the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2016 Pathankot airbase strike, and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. India released Azhar from its custody in 1999 as part of a hostage swap deal during the Flight 814 Kandahar hijack.
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Meanwhile, Bilawal said that the cases prosecuted against these "individuals" in Pakistan were those related to Islamabad, such as terror financing. He said that due to "non-compliance" from India, it was difficult for Pakistan to prosecute them for cross-border terrorism.
“India is refusing to comply with certain basic elements that require that conviction to take place,” he said, adding that, “It’s important … to present evidence within these courts, for people to come over from India to testify, to put up with whatever the counter-accusations will be."
Bilawal further said, "If India is willing to be cooperative in that process, I am sure there will be no hurdle in extraditing any individual of concern."
He expressed concern about India's 'new normal' of dealing with terrorists after its Operation Sindoor, describing it as a "new abnormal". “This does not serve the interests of Pakistan, and it does not serve the interests of India," he added.
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On being pressed to disclose the whereabouts of Saeed and Azhar, the PPP chief said that the LeT chief was incarcerated, while the JeM chief, Pakistan believes, lives in Afghanistan.
“It is factually not correct that Hafiz Saeed is a free man; he is in the custody of the Pakistani state,” he asserted, saying that Islamabad has been unable to arrest Azhar.
“It is our belief that he is in Afghanistan," Bilawal said.
“If and when the Indian government shares information that he is on Pakistani soil, we will be more than happy to arrest him," he added.
Talha Saeed hits out at Bilawal Bhutto
Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, hit out at Bilawal Bhutto for his remarks and said that he "should not" have talked about Pakistanis' extradition.
"His statement is against the state policy, national interest and sovereignty, and we strongly condemn it," Talha said in a statement on Sunday.
“Bilawal Bhutto is either unaware of ground realities or promoting the enemy’s narrative,” he said and asked, "Could a state representative talk about handing over citizens to an enemy country?"
Talha also defended his father and said that none of Hafiz Saeed's actions are against Pakistan.
