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Published 29 Dec, 2023 11:06pm

India seeks Hafiz Saeed extradition from Pakistan on money laundering charges

Pakistan’s foreign office on Friday confirmed receiving Indian government’s request to extradite Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the founder of banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD).

“Pakistan has received a request from the Indian authorities, seeking extradition of Hafiz Saeed in a so-called money laundering case,” FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.

However, Pakistan is unlikely to follow up on the request as according to the spokesperson, “no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India.”

A day earlier, Baloch denied receiving such requests during a press briefing saying that the reports were based on speculative reporting and “we would not like to comment on speculative reports.”

India had accused Saeed of attacks across the borders, however, he has repeatedly denied all claims.

Earlier today, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi confirmed that the Indian government had formally requested Pakistan to extradite Saeed.

“We have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents to the Government of Pakistan,” Bagchi told reporters in a media briefing.

It is pertinent to mention that a Pakistani court sentenced Hafiz Saeed to 31 years in prison in two cases of terrorism financing.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore had found Saeed guilty of terrorism financing in April 2022 and sentenced him to 32 years in jail.

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