India is seeking the extradition of a top Pakistan militant suspected to have planned the 2008 Mumbai attacks after the US said last week he was living freely in Pakistan, government officials said on Sunday.
India and the US have both indicted Sajid Mir of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba for the terror attacks in which 166 people were killed, including six Americans.
While Pakistan took action against Lashkar founder Hafiz Saeed last year, it continued to provide safe harbour to other top militant leaders, the US state department’s 2019 country report on terrorism said.
One of them was Sajid, the “project manager” of the Mumbai attack, believed to remain free in Pakistan.
An Indian official said the government had repeatedly asked Pakistan to hand over Sajid who is charged with serving as chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance and was also named as one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks. “We have asked before, and are demanding again, he needs to be handed over,” the official said.
Pakistan’s foreign office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.