News Desk: India has initiated the process to serve court summons on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed in Lahore in connection with the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, marking another major step in the legal proceedings against the Pakistan-based accused.
The summons are expected to be routed through diplomatic channels via the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), as Saeed is based in Pakistan and remains outside the reach of Indian investigators. The move follows a non-bailable warrant issued against him by the Special NIA Court, according to reports.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) named Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet filed in July, accusing him of being among the key conspirators behind the Pahalgam attack. The agency’s original chargesheet, filed in December 2025, had detailed what it described as a Pakistan-based conspiracy behind the attack.
Pahalgam terror attack: NIA court to send summons to Hafiz Saeed through MEA
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The Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists and a local civilian were killed, triggered a major counter-terror investigation. The NIA subsequently expanded the case to include Saeed and other alleged conspirators.
Legal route
Serving the summons is an important procedural step before the court can consider further action against an accused who remains abroad. If Saeed fails to respond despite completion of the prescribed legal process, proceedings could eventually move towards a trial in absentia under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, subject to fulfilment of the statutory requirements.
The development comes amid a wider effort by Indian authorities to pursue Pakistan-based accused in major terror cases through legal and international mechanisms.
Separately, Mumbai Police have sought the Union Home Ministry’s assistance to serve proclamation orders through Interpol against Saeed and five other Pakistan-based accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, also paving the way for proceedings in their absence.
The NIA’s official records show that Saeed has long been wanted in connection with terror-related cases. In the 26/11 conspiracy case, the agency has identified him among the Pakistan-based accused and records that non-bailable warrants and Interpol Red Notices were pursued against absconding accused.
The latest move to serve summons in Lahore therefore represents both a legal formality and a diplomatic challenge, as India seeks to bring a Pakistan-based accused before an Indian court despite his continued presence outside the country’s jurisdiction.
