JAMMU — A special court of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued a non-bailable warrant against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed in connection with the agency's investigation into the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, marking the latest step in legal proceedings against the globally designated militant leader.
The warrant was issued by the Special NIA Court in Jammu following an application by the federal anti-terror agency after it filed a supplementary chargesheet naming Saeed as an accused in the case. According to court documents cited by Indian media, the order was passed on July 8, two days after the supplementary chargesheet was submitted.
The NIA told the court that Saeed, who it described as an absconding accused residing in Pakistan, was deliberately evading arrest and that his arrest and custodial interrogation were necessary for a "fair, complete and effective investigation." The court accepted the agency's request and issued an open-dated non-bailable warrant to facilitate further legal proceedings.
The supplementary chargesheet accuses Saeed in both his personal capacity and as chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, according to the NIA.
Indian authorities allege Saeed was among the masterminds behind the April 22, 2025, attack near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed. The NIA has described the attack as part of a cross-border conspiracy. Those allegations have been made by Indian investigators and have not been adjudicated in court.
Saeed has long been designated as a terrorist by India and the United States and has been accused by India of involvement in several major attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan has previously prosecuted Saeed in terrorism financing cases, though India has continued to seek stronger action against him over attacks on its territory.
The issuance of the warrant follows the NIA's decision earlier this month to add Saeed to its supplementary chargesheet in the Pahalgam investigation. The agency has said the investigation into the wider conspiracy behind the attack remains ongoing.
