Hafiz Saeed’s Son Condemns Bilawal’s Extradition Remarks as ‘Anti-State’
Both LeT and JeM have been banned by Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).
- Jul 7, 2025,
- Updated Jul 7, 2025 2:15 PM IST
Hafiz Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, has strongly criticised former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for suggesting the extradition of certain individuals to India, calling the remarks "against state policy, national interest and sovereignty."
"Bilawal Bhutto should not have talked about extradition of Pakistanis. His statement is against the state policy, national interest and sovereignty, and we strongly condemn it," Talha said in a statement issued in Lahore on Sunday. He questioned whether a state representative could openly propose handling over citizens to what he described as an "enemy country." Talha also defended his father, claiming that none of Hafiz Saeed's actions were against Pakistan.
Saeed, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail on terror financing charges.
Talha’s reaction came after Bilawal, chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), during an interview with Al Jazeera, said that Pakistan would not oppose the extradition of “individuals of concern” to India as a confidence-building measure in a broader dialogue. Asked specifically about LeT’s Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Bilawal said that while they had been prosecuted for terror financing within Pakistan, cross-border terrorism convictions were difficult due to India’s alleged “noncompliance” in legal procedures.
“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,” Bilawal had said.
His remarks drew sharp criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as well. Sheikh Waqas Akram, spokesperson for jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI, described Bilawal as an “immature political child,” saying his proposal was ill-advised and damaging to Pakistan’s national security narrative.
“Bilawal has become a symbol of confusion and contradiction in Pakistan’s foreign policy discourse,” Akram said, accusing him of betraying the legacy of his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who founded the PPP on the Kashmir issue.
Both LeT and JeM have been banned by Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, is believed to be living in an undisclosed location, while Bilawal claimed he might be in Afghanistan.
(With agency input)
Hafiz Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, has strongly criticised former Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for suggesting the extradition of certain individuals to India, calling the remarks "against state policy, national interest and sovereignty."
"Bilawal Bhutto should not have talked about extradition of Pakistanis. His statement is against the state policy, national interest and sovereignty, and we strongly condemn it," Talha said in a statement issued in Lahore on Sunday. He questioned whether a state representative could openly propose handling over citizens to what he described as an "enemy country." Talha also defended his father, claiming that none of Hafiz Saeed's actions were against Pakistan.
Saeed, the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is currently serving a 33-year prison sentence in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail on terror financing charges.
Talha’s reaction came after Bilawal, chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), during an interview with Al Jazeera, said that Pakistan would not oppose the extradition of “individuals of concern” to India as a confidence-building measure in a broader dialogue. Asked specifically about LeT’s Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, Bilawal said that while they had been prosecuted for terror financing within Pakistan, cross-border terrorism convictions were difficult due to India’s alleged “noncompliance” in legal procedures.
“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,” Bilawal had said.
His remarks drew sharp criticism from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as well. Sheikh Waqas Akram, spokesperson for jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI, described Bilawal as an “immature political child,” saying his proposal was ill-advised and damaging to Pakistan’s national security narrative.
“Bilawal has become a symbol of confusion and contradiction in Pakistan’s foreign policy discourse,” Akram said, accusing him of betraying the legacy of his grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who founded the PPP on the Kashmir issue.
Both LeT and JeM have been banned by Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA). Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, is believed to be living in an undisclosed location, while Bilawal claimed he might be in Afghanistan.
(With agency input)