From Afghan jihad to Pahalgam: How Hafiz Saeed built Lashkar-e-Taiba

The legal case against Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has acquired a fresh dimension in India. In July 2026, the National Investigation Agency named Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case, charging him in his individual capacity and as the founder and chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its active proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF). The NIA mentioned a cross-border conspiracy behind the April 22, 2025 attack, which killed 26 civilians. A special NIA court subsequently issued a non-bailable warrant against Saeed.The development came as Mumbai Police separately began proceedings for a trial in absentia against Saeed and five other Pakistan-based accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The proclamation covers Saeed, LeT operations chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Alqama, Asim alias Abu Qahafa and Major Abdur Rehman Pasha.