Latest news with #HafizSaeed
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Wanted Worldwide, VVIP In Pakistan: How Islamabad Protects These 7 Terrorists
Last Updated: Despite global terror listings and India's repeated warnings, Pakistan continues to shield 7 most-wanted terrorists, from Hafiz Saeed to Dawood Ibrahim. Despite repeated diplomatic calls from India and mounting evidence shared with global bodies like the United Nations and FATF (Financial Action Task Force), Pakistan continues to provide safe haven to some of the world's most wanted terrorists. From masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to underworld kingpins and terrorists operating across borders, these seven individuals remain free- brazenly protected, directly or indirectly, by Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed Founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hafiz Saeed orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed over 200. He is also responsible for attacks on the Red Fort in 2000 and countless strikes across Kashmir. Despite being designated a global terrorist by the UN and US and facing a $10 million bounty, Hafiz Saeed lives comfortably in Lahore, often seen attending Friday prayers under armed police protection. In June 2025, Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Hafiz Saeed was under 'house arrest"- a claim India dismissed as eyewash. Pakistan's Lashkar HQ in Muridke was destroyed by India in Operation Sindoor. Masood Azhar Dawood Ibrahim India's most wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings that killed over 250 people. He heads the D-Company, a transnational crime syndicate involved in narco-terrorism, extortion and money laundering. Labelled a global terrorist by the US and UN, Dawood Ibrahim has a $25 million bounty. His Karachi address- House No. D-13, Clifton, Karachi- has appeared in multiple dossiers shared with Pakistan and the UN. Yet he continues to live with impunity under the protection of Pakistan's ISI and reportedly enjoys direct contact with elements of the military. Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi A top Lashkar commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was one of the primary handlers of the 10 Pakistani gunmen who carried out the Mumbai 26/11 attacks. Captured gunman Ajmal Kasab named him as a key figure. Though briefly jailed under global pressure, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi was granted bail in Pakistan and has since vanished from public record. He continues to enjoy military protection in Pakistan's Punjab province and his assets remain largely untouched. When Pakistan was on the FATF 'grey list', Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi faced limited sanctions but once that scrutiny faded, he reemerged with impunity. China has repeatedly blocked UN efforts to list him under global sanctions. Syed Salahuddin Chief of Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin operates out of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where he frequently leads anti-India rallies, calling for jihad and threatening to turn Kashmir into a 'graveyard for Indian soldiers." The US State Department designated him a global terrorist in 2017. Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal The Bhatkal brothers- Riyaz and Iqbal- founded the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and have been behind a spate of bombings in Indian cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune. While Iqbal is the operational head and bombmaker, Riyaz handles funding and logistics, with help from Gulf-based handlers and Pakistan's ISI. Both are currently believed to be living in Karachi, where they are said to operate sleeper cells in India through encrypted apps and hawala channels. view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 21:18 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
'The Dirty 7': Terrorists Wanted By India, The World, But Protected By Pakistan
New Delhi: Seven of the world's most wanted terrorists - men with millions of dollars in bounties on their heads and who have orchestrated horrific attacks that claimed the lives of thousands, in India and abroad - are not hiding in rundown motels or 'roughing it out' in remote jungle camps. Instead, they live as free men in Pakistan, backed and protected by the Pak Army and deep state, and operate with impunity, plotting terror attacks on India and Indians, recruiting and radicalising young men and women to perpetrate their violence, and living a luxurious life. In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack - in which 26 people were killed by terrorists from The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned and Pak-based Lashkar-e-Taiba - the spotlight is now firmly on these terrorist leaders and Pakistan's inaction despite a mountain of evidence. Who are these terrorists? First up is Hafiz Saeed. Saeed is the boss of the Lashkar, or LeT, terrorist group that he established in the early 1990s as the military wing of the Markaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad, a Pak-based Islamic fundamentalist missionary group, according to the United States' Office of the Director of Naval Intelligence. A ODNI report said the LeT is responsible for "numerous attacks against Indian troops and civilian targets across the country. The list of Lashkar assaults on India is long and bloody, and includes the bombing of commuter trains in Mumbai in 2006 and the 26/11 attacks on the city. Over 360 people died in those two attacks alone. Terrorist Hafiz Saeed is officially under 'house arrest' in Pak, but is actually a free man (File). Lashkar terrorists also attacked the Red Fort in Delhi in 2000. The man behind all these terror strikes has been designated a terrorist by the US and the United Nations and has a $10 million bounty on his head, but lives comfortably in Lahore under armed guard. Pak minister Bilawal Bhutto last month claimed Hafiz Saeed is under 'house arrest'. The Lashkar HQ in Muridke was destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor. Then there is Masood Azhar, the boss of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group that is also based out of Pakistan and protected by the Pak Army and deep state. The mastermind of the horrific Pulwama and Uri terror attacks - which killed 59 soldiers and injured dozens more - Azhar was labelled a 'global terrorist' by the United Nations in 2019. Cut to today... and he is officially 'untraceable'. Pak claims they don't know the location of Masood Azhar (File). Only he isn't; in November he gave a speech at an Islamic seminary in Pak's Punjab province and vowed more terror strikes on India. The Indian government demanded his immediate arrest but Pak dithered again, claiming it had, and still doesn't have, information on his whereabouts. Earlier this month Mr Bhutto claimed Azhar might be in Afghanistan. Intel, however, indicates Azhar continues to operate from Bahawalpur in Pak, which was also one of the terror camps disabled by missile strikes during Op Sindoor. NDTV Exclusive | Perhaps the ultimate sign of the protection offered to the LeT and JeM bosses are reports the Pak government has begun rebuilding launchpads and terror camps that were destroyed. Next up is Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a fundamentalist Islamic preacher and a senior figure in the LeT. In fact, he is reported to be the terror group's military chief and was the architect behind the 26/11 Mumbai attack. He was jailed by Pak, albeit very briefly, before being released on bail. This was despite India providing evidence of his role in the Mumbai attack. Lakhvi was briefly in a Pak jail but was given bail despite India's protests (File). Back in 2020, when Pak was on the 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-terror financing watchdog, Lakhvi did face significant financial sanctions from Islamabad. But since then he has been as free as any of the other terrorists on this list, with addresses in Punjab province and even in Islamabad on the record. He is believed to have the protection of the Pak Army and even China; Beijing blocked a UN bid to place him on a key list of terrorists. Fourth on the list is Syed Salahuddin, the chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group and who has vowed to turn the Kashmir Valley into "a graveyard for Indian forces". Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin has vowed to kill Indian soldiers (File). Designated a terrorist by the US' Department of State and India's National Investigation Agency, he still leads anti-India rallies in Pak-occupied Kashmir and calling for jihad against India. Then there's Dawood Ibrahim, mob boss extraordinaire and one of the world's most wanted fugitives. The head of the infamous D-Company crime syndicate, he is wanted on charges of murder and murder-for-hire, extortion, drug trafficking, and terrorism. Wanted crime boss and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim is living in Karachi (File). He was labelled a 'global terrorist' by India and the US in 2003 for his role in the bombings in Mumbai a decade earlier, and was even on the 'most wanted' list of the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation. The $25 million bounty on his head alone underlines his nefarious status. He has been tracked to Karachi, where he is untouched, of course, under the security of the Pak government, its intel wing, the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and the country's armed forces. There are many more, of course. There is Iqbal Bhatkal, a bomber who founded the Indian Mujahideen, and his brother, Riyaz Bhatkal, the co-founded the group and acts as its financier. Both are in Karachi and run sleeper cells in India. Multiple terror groups and terrorists use Pak as a launchpad to attack Indian territory, a state of affairs that continues despite India raising this at the highest levels in the international community, This includes providing a growing mountain of material highlighting Islamabad's roles in terror attacks.
India.com
12-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Exposed: Pakistan, Lashkar, Jaish's dangerous plan to launch attack in India through...., shocking details revealed by...
Security personnel undertake a cordon and search operation after getting specific input about the presence of terrorists, at Nader Tral area of Awantipora, in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir (Image for representational purpose only) Terrorist groups based in Pakistan are reportedly planning new attacks on India and two of the most dangerous groups involved are Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), led by Hafiz Saeed, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), headed by Masood Azhar. Both these groups, who have been involved in past attacks, are now working on a new plan to target India once again. According to various reports, instead of crossing the India-Pakistan border directly, these groups may try to enter India through Nepal. The warning came from Sunil Bahadur Thapa, an advisor to Nepal's President. Speaking at a high-level seminar in Kathmandu on July 9, he said that terrorists might use Nepal as a transit route to reach India. Thapa pointed out that India and Nepal share a long, open border, which makes movement easier. He also mentioned that in recent times, there have been increased signs of terrorist activity in Nepal. Stronger India-Nepal cooperation needed The recent seminar held in Kathmandu focused on the growing threat of terrorism in South Asia. Experts and officials discussed how terrorist attacks in India can also affect Nepal and the peace and stability of the entire region. Speakers at the event stressed that terrorism getting support and shelter in Pakistan is a big obstacle for regional unity, including efforts to strengthen SAARC and broader cooperation across South Asia. There was a clear call for stronger cooperation between India and Nepal to fight terrorism which included: Taking strict action against money laundering, Sharing intelligence and information between both countries, And conducting joint border patrols to stop cross-border threats. India-Nepal border a security concern amid terror threats India and Nepal share a 1,751-kilometre-long open border, which operates with very little security checking. While this allows for smooth movement of people, it also creates a serious risk. Terrorists find it easier to enter India through this route, often using fake Nepali documents to hide their identity. Over the past few years, several terrorists from LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been caught trying to enter India via Nepal. These terror groups have been linked to major past attacks, including: The 2001 Indian Parliament attack The 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 The Pathankot airbase attack in 2016 And the deadly Pulwama attack in 2019 Given this history, and the easy access through the Nepal route, Indian security agencies are on high alert for any possible retaliation.
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
How Are Pak Terrorists Moving Money? Hints From An FATF Report
The much-awaited report is out. The premier financial intelligence watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has just released its assessment of the terrorist financing risks and is not mincing its words. It talks about how terrorists use the most inventive methods to move money. A key takeaway, however, is this: those with state sponsorship have far more money and find it far easier to move it around. This is a vital report from the body. It underlines what many a counter-terrorism specialist will tell you, that terrorism is not all about spouting ideology and fistwaving. In the final analysis, it's about money, and a lot of it. FATF Has To Do Its Job For those not in the know, the FATF is an intergovernmental body formed in 1987 by the G-7 countries, the European Commission and eight others (who are curiously not listed), to combat money-laundering, including "terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction". This has nothing to do with morality, but with the fact that terrorist financing can include all manner of crimes, including human and narcotics trafficking, among other things; it can essentially infect the international banking system to the detriment of each state. The FATF does periodic reviews of each country. India joined in 2010, and in 2024, it got an 'outstanding' report for its financial stability and probity. The body, however, warned it against the use of 'non-profit' associations for terrorist financing. A number of NGOs were shut down, causing a hue and cry of 'illiberalism'. Pakistan, on the other hand, has been put on the 'grey list' several times, which means its financial systems have significant deficiencies. It was on the list in 2008, then in 2012, and then again in 2018 till 2022, during which period Islamabad sentenced Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi for five years Hafiz Saeed to 33 years in prison. The country also set in place the Anti-Terrorism Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which brought Pakistan's legal definition of terrorism up to international standards and aligned its laws with global norms on terrorist financing. However, Pakistan's clean-up is far from done. It has just gone deeper underground. Digital Routes This is, however, not just about Pakistan and its backing of jihadist groups. Sure, in a move that would have Rawalpindi in panic, the report names and shames the LeT and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as well as their so-called charitable arms. But it digs deep into the world of terrorist finance and warns that these actors have developed a 'persistent ability' to exploit the financial system of a majority of countries reviewed. The extent of the sophistication is apparent in the use of digital platforms like social media messaging apps and crowdfunding sites. Then there are shell companies, legal companies, and even trusts. But here's the clincher. Terrorist financing is most effective when they control territory or are proximate to terrorist areas. That means taxes, diversion of humanitarian aid and access to natural resources. The Thing About State Sponsorship The key point in the document is that it flags, for the first time, state-sponsored terrorism, though it admits it has not yet developed a typology for this. It refers to reports of states helping designated terrorist groups to circumvent sanctions regimes, and interestingly notes, "When an organisation is not designated at the multilateral level, it is more likely to engage in financial activities, including fundraising". That's one in the jaw for those analysts who wonder why we bother to get designations at the United Nations, a body largely seen as toothless. Sanctions are powerful instruments, if imposed strongly. True, Pakistan is not explicitly named, but the very recognition of this issue is vital for Indian investigators and diplomats. The report notes significantly that donations are coordinated through encrypted mobile communications, money services businesses, cash, or in virtual assets. In short, they "demonstrated remarkable adaptability" to beat the system. In addition, there is "an enhanced focus on technology and communications, with increased investment in secure communications devices, software, and cybersecurity measures". Now think about that in terms of Pahalgam, where the communications gear - the so-called 'ultra-sets' - operated only on radio waves. No wonder a trail was difficult to find. Moving The Money There's another frightening observation. Networked organisations such as the Islamic State and al Qaeda rely on regional entities for moving funds. That includes the AQIS (al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent), which, just after India's Operation Sindoor, called upon all Muslims in India to launch a jihad. That's strange in itself, since the group was last heard of operating out of Assam in 2022 in conjunction with Bangladeshi groups. That's networking across three international borders. Then there are the Islamic State's 'offices' such as the Maktab al Siddiq, which move funds through India and Bangladesh, among others, in hawala transactions. No, hawaladars are no longer handling greasy notes. Many, including in Afghanistan, are using cryptocurrency. The hawala trail itself has been replicated into a blockchain-based pseudo-anonymous transfer system, where a new user has to be vetted before they fit into the system, making it virtually impossible for an investigator to penetrate it. It's like a vast spider's web. Techno Parks for Terror Apart from all of the above, some unusual features have been identified. Terrorists now also bank on monetisation of social media platforms like Zoom or YouTube. There's also 'X', which provides services for its 'blue tick', and which, in turn, allows users to 'tip' other accounts using various payment methods. Research has found blue-ticked accounts tied to sanctioned entities and individuals. Then there's YouTube's 'Super chat' feature, which allows viewers to purchase highlighted messages in live streams. Easy to support your favourite jihadi even while increasing their visibility. There are prepaid cards, pre-loaded, allowing easy transfer, and 'open loop' cards, which means money can be drawn across the world. It's enough to make an investigator cry into his coffee. Following The Trail However, investigators in Pakistan are particularly astute. One example cited in the FATF report is the evidence from a car bomb attack that was claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The investigation involved tracing the owner of the car. which led to the authorities finding out that the person reactivated a dormant bank account, conducted some three transactions for large amounts, and then closed it entirely. Pakistan's Financial Monitoring Unit identified foreign remittances as well, and eventually arrested the lot. The point is, Pakistan can do a good job when it wants to. But in the Pulwama attack of 2019, it didn't despite being given a chance. The report notes flatly how the investigations back then "revealed the cross-border movement of a large quantity of explosives into India". Notably, a key component of the improvised explosive device used in the attack - aluminium powder - was procured through Amazon. So, e-commerce sites are another area that could be misused. That's damning enough, though the FATF also notes how the authorities concluded' that the attack was by the JeM. Today's Terrorism Is Complicated Everything considered, this is a report that portrays the extent of the challenge security agencies face in preventing terrorism in the first place, and, in the second, grappling with the ensuing 'whodunnit'. It's virtually impossible to trace everything, and terrorist sponsors know it. The immediate danger for New Delhi is the fact outlined clearly by the FATF: that the individual terrorist, inspired by a deluge of online propaganda, needs very little money to go ahead and hit its target. The Gokarnath temple attacker was arrested after some 44 international third-party transactions were found through forensic analysis of his phone. Today's terrorists have gone far beyond that. Ultimately, the burden of finding proof has become an even bigger task, as also convincing some world leaders who often offer to 'mediate'. In the end, there is only one solution: the terrorist sponsor has to be shut down in its entirety. Forget the web, just smash the spider.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Big! Pak's Bilawal Bhutto Faces Lashkar Threat After ‘Extradite Hafiz Saeed' Shocker; ‘How Dare You'
Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's suggestion to extradite "individuals of concern" like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India, if India cooperates, has ignited a firestorm. While Bhutto views it as a "confidence-building measure," Hafiz Saeed's son, Talha Saeed, fiercely condemned it as "promoting the enemy's narrative" and questioning Bhutto's faith. Former PM Imran Khan's PTI party also slammed Bhutto as an "immature political child," calling the proposal "detrimental" to Pakistan's national security. The controversy highlights deep divisions within Pakistan regarding its approach to terrorism and relations with India.
