Bilawal Bhutto fuels uproar by backing extradition of terrorists to India; Hafiz Saeed’s son hits back

Former Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has triggered a political storm by declaring that Pakistan would have no qualms about extraditing terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India as a “confidence-building measure.” His remarks, aired on Al Jazeera, swiftly drew fire from Hafiz Saeed’s son, Talha Saeed, who accused Bilawal of bringing “disgrace” to Pakistan on the global stage.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bilawal said Pakistan was prepared to hand over “individuals of concern” to India, provided New Delhi showed what he described as a “willingness” to cooperate in the process. He was responding to a question on whether extraditing Hafiz Saeed, chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar could serve as goodwill gestures toward India.

“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, the chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, said.

Both LeT and JeM are banned organizations in Pakistan, according to the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta). Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, is serving a 33-year prison sentence for terror financing, while Masood Azhar, a UN-designated global terrorist, has been proscribed by Nacta.

Masood Azhar, one of India’s most-wanted militants, has been linked to several major attacks in India, including the 2001 Parliament attack, the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the 2016 Pathankot airbase assault, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing. He was released from Indian custody in 1999 as part of the hostage swap following the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 to Kandahar.

Continuing his criticism of New Delhi, Bilawal described India’s determination to pursue terrorists as a “new abnormal.” “This does not serve the interests of Pakistan and it does not serve the interests of India,” he added.

Pressed on the whereabouts of Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, Bilawal confirmed that the LeT chief is behind bars, while Islamabad believes the JeM leader is currently in Afghanistan.