LeT Furious Over Bilawal’s Extradition Remark; Hafiz Saeed’s Son Says ‘Every Pakistani’s Head H

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror outfit, has strongly opposed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto’s statement regarding the possible extradition of Hafiz Saeed to India. Talha Saeed, a designated terrorist under UAPA and son of India’s most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed, criticised Bilawal’s remark and accused him of “speaking India’s language” and claimed that his comments have brought shame to every Pakistani.

In an interview with a Doha-based international news channel funded by Qatar’s government, Bilawal Bhutto had said that Pakistan could consider extraditing Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, provided India first shows cooperation in dialogue and other bilateral matters. Bilawal also claimed that Pakistan had already punished Hafiz Saeed for terror financing without India’s help, and that he is currently serving time in jail.

 Talha Saeed Calls Charges Against Hafiz Saeed Motivated

Pakistan’s state-sponsored terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) reacted sharply to this statement, and Talha Saeed, Hafiz Saeed’s son, dismissed the terror charges against his father as false and claimed they were motivated. He also asserted that Bilawal should have represented Pakistan’s interests in the interview rather than “echoing India’s stance” on Hafiz Saeed. He added that everything Hafiz Saeed has done was for Pakistan. Talha also announced plans for a protest against Bilawal Bhutto.

It’s worth noting that Bilawal Bhutto is the son of current Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and leads the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which is currently in coalition with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (N). While Bilawal appears to be open to the idea of extraditing Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar under certain conditions, just a month and a half ago, on May 28, Pakistan’s federal minister Malik Rasheed publicly declared that Pakistan’s 240 million citizens are Hafiz Saeed and he claimed Saifullah Kasuri and Hafiz Saeed are Pakistan’s national heroes.

Moreover, it has been proven time and time again that Pakistan is a country where real power rests with the army and intelligence rather than elected officials. Since General Asim Munir became Field Marshal, it is perceived that he has an overriding influence on all major decisions, and numerous former Pakistani military officials like retired Major Adil Raja and exiled human rights activists have provided evidence of close ties between the army and terrorist organisations.

Given this background, it seems highly likely that Bilawal Bhutto might retract his statement on extradition in the coming days. Despite his father’s position as President, the actual power structure and political reality in Pakistan indicate that his remarks may not translate into action, and extradition of Hafiz Saeed or Masood Azhar to India remains improbable.