NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have filed fresh terrorism-related charges against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, accusing him of being behind last year’s deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir.
According to India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), Saeed has been charged with waging war against India and conspiring to carry out the attack from across the border. The agency also alleged that the attackers were linked to a group it considers a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.
The Pahalgam attack significantly increased tensions between Pakistan and India. Following the incident, New Delhi blamed Pakistan for supporting those responsible. Pakistan rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and insisting that no evidence had been presented to support India’s claims.
After the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and carried out military strikes on Pakistani territory. Pakistan responded militarily, saying its armed forces acted in self-defence. The confrontation further strained already fragile relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Pakistan has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Pahalgam attack and has urged India to share credible evidence if it possesses any. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also proposed an independent international investigation into the incident, but the offer was not accepted by New Delhi.
Saeed was previously convicted in Pakistan in cases related to terrorism financing. He has also been accused by India of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, allegations that have remained a longstanding source of tension between the two countries.
