Pahalgam Attack: Court Issues Warrant Against Hafiz Saeed, Trial in Absentia Likely

A Jammu court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in April 2025. The warrant was issued after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named Saeed as the mastermind in a supplementary chargesheet filed this month.

Sources familiar with the investigation said Saeed, who operates from Pakistan under military protection, will be tried in absentia under a new legal provision that allows courts to proceed with trials when an accused deliberately fails to appear. The NIA told the court that all legal avenues to bring Saeed to India had been exhausted, and urged the judge to move forward without his presence.

The Pahalgam attack, which occurred in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, was the deadliest terrorist incident in the region since 2019, when 41 soldiers were killed in Uri by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed. Most of the victims were civilians.

In its first chargesheet filed in December 2025, the NIA named three LeT terrorists—Suleman, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani—as the perpetrators. All three were killed in July 2025 during Operation Mahadev, a joint operation by the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force, and local police. Home Minister Amit Shah later confirmed their deaths in Parliament, stating that Suleman was a senior LeT commander attempting to flee to Pakistan.

The supplementary chargesheet added Saeed's name, detailing his role in planning and monitoring the attack. Additional forensic evidence from the site was also included. The NIA later added three more accused: Pakistan-based Sajid Saifullah Jatt, and Pahalgam residents Bashir Ahmed and Parvez Ahmed, who allegedly assisted the attackers.

Trial in absentia, as introduced under recent legal reforms, allows courts to declare an accused a fugitive if they fail to appear after summons and warrants. Once declared, the court can proceed with the trial in their absence, provided there is sufficient evidence of serious crimes. This provision aims to ensure judicial proceedings are not indefinitely stalled by absconding suspects.

Saeed, who also orchestrated the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, has been indicted in multiple cases but remains in Pakistan. The NIA's move is seen as a step toward holding him accountable under Indian law.